Hummingbird
by Onileo
Summary: On separate missions to Iwagakure, Kisame and Hinata bump into each other in an unlikely accident. What is a good Akatsuki to do with a lonely little leaf ninja? Kidnap her, of course! Rated M for language, violence and lemons. Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

Hummingbird

Chapter 1

The training grounds were peaceful, with birds breaking the stillness with their eternal song, and a slight breeze stirring the summer leaves into a whispering dance. The sunshine streamed through the canopy to strike the forest floor with an ever changing pattern of light. Standing beneath a tree, eyes closed, was a girl. Her long, raven-colored hair floated in the wind and tickled her cheeks. Her clothes were simple, a black tee over a mesh top and a pair of blue capris complemented by a pair of blue open toed sandals. Other than her hair and the slow wavering aura of concentrated chakra, the girl was completely motionless.

A sharp whistle broke the stillness as a kunai flew from a nearby tree and straight at the girl. Without giving any indication of noticing the oncoming threat, she ducked and rolled to the right. The kunai plunged into the tree just as the girl opened her eyes. She only had time to blink once, however, as a dozen shuriken were launched from several directions at once. Backflipping to miss the first one, she launched herself at the nearest tree and ran straight up it. Jumping to the next tree, she ran back down to the ground, zigzagging to miss the onslaught of weapons. When she reached the ground, she took off running, covering her back by sticking close to trees. She could hear the other ninjas give chase and she sped up to try and outrun them.

Everything was going well, until a rock decided to intervene. Glancing back to gauge the distance of her pursuers, the girl tripped and rolled head over heels in the dirt. Stopping in a most ungraceful position, she squeaked and sat up with a blush, glaring at the offending rock.

"Oi, Hinata, are you OK?" the first pursuer called out. The owner of the voice poked his head out of the nearest bush and grinned.

"I'm f-fine, Kiba-kun, thank you!" Hinata called back.

"I think we should call it a day, it's been hours and Hinata's getting tired." the second pursuer stated as he emerged from the nearest tree. The solemn face of Shino appeared before Hinata as he offered her his hand to help her up. She stood quickly and released his hand. She knew he was uncomfortable with physical contact, so offering to help her was a big show of trust on his part. The fact that he had bugs living in his body made most people shy away from touching him, so he generally just avoided situations that could turn awkward.

"T-thank you for h-helping me with my agility t-training, it's a lot h-harder without using my B-byakugan." Hinata said softly.

"Hey, you're doing great! Soon we'll have to start calling you the Konoha Dart! Right, Akamaru?" Kiba said just as the big white dog made his appearance. Akamaru barked his agreement and nudged Hinata's hand so she would scratch behind his ears. She obliged willingly.

Just as they turned to head back home, an ANBU messenger dropped in front of them and crossed his arms. His bird mask looked intimidating and he stared at Hinata. "Hyuuga Hinata, Hokage-sama needs to see you."

"H-hai, I'll go r-right away." Hinata said with a blush. She hated being the center of attention, and she slid quietly behind Kiba and Shino to wait for the man to leave. Which he did immediately, disappearing in a puff of smoke without warning.

Kiba turned to look at Hinata. "Hmm, must be a mission." Then he grinned. "Lucky Dog! I'm starting to get bored sitting around Konoha. Let's go see what it's about." And with that the three teammates walked off the training grounds and headed for the Hokage Tower.

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The training grounds were a wreck. Small trees lay broken and shattered everywhere. A fine layer of dust hung in the still air. The setting sun bathed the area in a harsh orange light. Boisterous shouts could be heard, followed shortly by a heavy thud. In the center of this maelstrom stood a man. He was clad only in a mesh top and a pair of black pants with heavy boots. His muscles bulged with effort and his skin was slick with heavy sweat, making it's blue gray hue glisten in the dying light.

In his hands, he wielded a massive sword. But unlike most swords, instead of a single blade, this one had a mass of protrusions, very similar to large scales, covering it entirely. On the wrapped hilt was a skull. Giving another loud shout, the man swung the sword and charged the last remaining tree. Everything was going well, until a rock decided to intervene. It came out of nowhere, and smacked him right in the back of the head.

The charge stopped immediately and the man spun around in anger. "Itachi, what the hell are you doing?" he roared.

"I've been standing here for five minutes and you failed to notice me, Kisame. Are you becoming so relaxed that you don't even notice your surroundings?" Itachi chided. "And besides, Leader-sama wants to see you about a mission." Grumbling something about annoying partners interrupting his precision training, Kisame slammed his sword, Samehada, into the ground and began reapplying the bandages that normally covered the blades. He was finished shortly, and after retrieving his cloak that lay some distance off, the pair made their way back to the base to meet with Pein.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, I have a job for you." Pein said imperiously when they entered the meeting room. "It is very vital to Akatsuki's goals."

"Sweet. What am I doing?"

"I want you to infiltrate Iwagakure. There is a ninja there that I am very interested in recruiting. His powers of chakra extraction and manipulation are supposed to be among the best in the world. Scout him and if he lives up to our expectations, bring him to me." Pein finished.

"Infiltrate? Umm, wouldn't that be a job better suited for Itachi? I'm not exactly the stealthy type." Kisame said with a sharp toothed grin.

Pein glared at the insubordination. "Itachi has business with Konoha that I need him to take care of. You are the only one not on a mission right now, and Samehada can convince anyone to come along quietly with his own chakra stealing ability."

"Fine, I'll do it. Might be fun at any rate."

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Hinata stood nervously in the Hokage's office. Her fingers automatically started to fidget, causing her to press them together repeatedly. Tsunade-sama was nowhere in sight. And waiting for a mission was making her very nervous. What if it was dangerous? What if she had to go alone? The ANBU didn't say anything about the team meeting the hokage, just her. Shino and Kiba came anyway, if only for curiosity and to support her.

Suddenly the door slammed open behind them, and Tsunade waltzed in, followed by a very frustrated looking Shizune. "Gomen," Shizune huffed, "I informed Tsunade of your meeting a half hour ago."

"Anyway," Tsunade started with a huge smile, "I have a mission for you, Hinata."

"W-what is it?" Hinata started with a stutter.

"I need a scroll delivered to a very special ninja in Iwagakure. I need it delivered to him in private and without the knowledge of other Iwa nins. If he accepts the proposal in the scroll, I need you to sneak out with him and escort him back to Konoha." Tsunade smiled. "The Iwa nins are very perceptive. A basic henge will be detected immediately, so I need someone who looks sweet and innocent, but is also an excellent ninja. That's why I chose you. I'd like you to leave as soon as you are packed, since it's quite a long journey. Any questions?" Tsunade asked.

"N-no, Hokage-sama. I'll p-pack immediately." Hinata was really nervous now. A really long mission alone in an enemy hidden village. She gulped. What if she failed? What if she was caught? Would Konoha come and rescue her? Or would they abandon her? She bowed swiftly to Tsunade and turned to leave.

"Oh, Hinata?"

"Yes, H-hokage-sama?"

Tsunade gave her a genuine smile. "I believe in you. Come back safely to us."

Hinata returned the smile. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama, I will try my b-best."

The packing was swift, and the goodbyes short (Hinata hated farewells, they were always sad), and she was off through the massive gates of Konoha. She could still hear Akamaru's forlorn howl in the distance. She thought of how Kiba teared up and Shino gave her a small smile, her parting gifts of affection. She was really going to miss her teammates. With a sigh of resignation, Hinata adjusted her pack and ran up the nearest straight tree, ready to tree hop for the rest of the afternoon.

At the Akatsuki base, Kisame was ready to leave. Since everyone else was already out on missions, there was no one to toss him an insult or wish him luck. He simply adjusted his cloak, slung Samehada over his shoulder, and headed out the door. But he didn't really care. The thought of a potential battle ahead made him grin wickedly. Oh, how he loved a good fight. The blood and chaos always stirred up the primal part of him that matched his animalistic face. Yeah, it was a good day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hinata woke with one thought. Traveling alone sucked. Sure, she'd done solo missions before, but never this far and she never liked the journey anyway. No one to talk to during the day, awake most of the night for fear of being discovered. Every sound made her paranoid. She wished desperately that she had Kiba's keen nose and Shino's stoic confidence. But thinking of her teammates soon banished her dark thoughts. They were counting on her to get back and she had a mission to accomplish. With a timid smile she sat up in the tree she had tethered herself to last night when she could travel no farther and had to sleep. She ran her fingers through her long hair to straighten it. At least no one could see how disheveled she was this morning. Life's little blessings.

She put away her rope and jumped down to the ground. Opening her pack, Hinata grabbed a riceball for breakfast. Finishing quickly, she wandered toward a stream she heard nearby to refresh herself and fill her canteen. Now done with her morning routine, she jumped back up into the trees and started off again. The hours wore away as she traveled and she didn't stop again until midday when her stomach protested loudly at the lack of food.

Once again on the forest floor, Hinata activated her Byakugan to look for edible berries or other food as she walked along the road she had been following. She ate what she could find as she walked, but didn't stop to rest. The sooner this mission was over with, the better. After about an hour, her stomach was satisfied and Hinata took to the trees to spend the afternoon traveling once again. As she sped along, Hinata thought about the mission ahead of her. The scroll was to be given to an Iwa nin who was only known by the name of Kisho. If he decided to accept Tsunade's offer to come to Konoha, she would have to find a way to sneak both of them out of a hidden village undetected, no small feat. If not, she was basically at his mercy. What if he decided to tell the other ninja that she was there? The Stone Village wasn't exactly known for it's kind treatment of enemies. A shudder raced down Hinata's spine and she turned her attention back to the path ahead of her.

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Well, wasn't this his lucky day. Kisame had been traveling for a couple of days now, and he was absolutely bored to death. Then, about mid-morning, things got interesting. He discovered, to his delight, that he was being followed. He slowed his pace so he could evaluate the situation. Sniffing the air, he distinguished three different scents. A malicious grin spread across his face. There were certainly some advantages to being part shark, a keen sense of smell one of the better ones. Speeding up, he started watching the terrain for a spot suitable for the upcoming battle.

Now it was time. A deep river was ahead, perfect for enhancing his jutsu. Kisame ran out into the middle of the river and turned around to wait. Presently the three following him came to a standstill on the bank a few yards away. They didn't look like much of a challenge. They were dressed simply, black pants and vests, and Kisame couldn't see any identifying forehead protectors. Their faces looked grim, but determined.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kisame's rough voice rang out.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, my name is Haru and we're here to take you down!" the apparent leader of the three replied.

"Hunter nin, eh? This is gonna be fun."

Kisame grasped the hilt of Samehada as the lesser two ninja charged and the one called Haru started making hand seals for a jutsu. With one swipe of Samehada, the attacking ninja were pushed back. Tucking the sword under his arm, Kisame started performing hand seals of his own.

"Mizu bunshin no jutsu!" he said as two more versions of himself appeared. '_That should hold those two idiots off while I deal with their leader'_ Kisame thought with a smirk. The clones charged the ninja and as they began to battle, Kisame turned his attention back to Haru. Jutsu finished, the man stood there with two large plants on either side of him. They looked like giant white lilies and stood even with the ninja's head. The flowers were closed, but the flower heads bobbed excitedly.

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Flowers? What the hell are you gonna do with those? I suppose you want me to give them to your widow. I would, but I have a busy schedule to keep. Can't leave the boss hanging, ya know?"

Haru narrowed his eyes in anger. "Poison Dart Attack!" he cried. The flowers quickly opened their blooms, launching senbon at Kisame, then closed again. Bringing Samehada around to the front, the needles were easily blocked.

Forming more hand seals, Kisame counterattacked. "Suiton: Suikoudon no Jutsu." Twin streams of water sprang from the river, towering over Kisame. When they reached their peak, the water sharks launched forward and slammed into the flowers. Kisame grinned, then stared in shock. The blooms had drooped under the force of the water, but then they started to expand. Shooting upward, the blooms doubled in size almost immediately.

"Plants thrive on water, you idiot. Your water based attacks will only make me stronger." Haru stated flatly.

"Then I'll just have to do this the messy way." Kisame said. Swinging Samehada out to the side, he charged. Dodging a shower of senbon, he was nearly to his opponent when a sharp pain in his leg made him halt. Thorny vines had sprung from the ground and were wrapped tightly around his leg. The thorns were digging into his flesh, and he could see blood seeping into the vines. Kisame glared at Haru.

"Drawing Vines Attack. My plants will slowly drain you of your blood. Water isn't the only thing they thrive on." Haru said triuphantly. The once white petals of the flowers were now a brilliant crimson and the blooms stayed open, revealing a mass of poison coated senbon in their centers.

"Tch. As if your weak little seedlings are any match for my Samehada." and with that, Kisame swung his sword in an arc and shredded the vines, sending dirt and stones flying everywhere. One of the dislodged rocks spun forward with the force and hit the lead hunter ninja in the cheek. A drop of crimson slowly ran down the man's angry face and dripped off his chin. Kisame froze.

All at once, the scent of enemy blood hit Kisame's senses. His pupils dilated and his heart pounded in anticipation as the bloodlust he was so famous for rose to the surface. The primal beast in him roared, demanding satisfaction. Satisfaction that only came with a large amount of spilled blood. As if sensing the change in it's master, Samehada started wiggling expectantly. A feral gleam rose to Kisame's eyes. "Get ready you bastard, here I come."

Kisame leapt forward, spinning Samehada over his head. He brought the great sword down on Haru's shoulder, dragging it back, shredding the man's shoulder to ribbons. He then disappeared and reappeared behind him, dragging his sword across his other shoulder. As his opponent sank to his knees from pain, Kisame swung Samehada in a circle, felling both of the plants. With another swing forward, Haru was hit in the back and tossed forward like a rag doll. Blood sprayed out of his broken back, staining the grass and soaking into the dirt. With a groan, he rolled over to find Kisame standing over him. "Well, Haru, it's been fun. But Hell just called your name and it's time for you to go. See ya there." A final swing brought Samehada down on the man's throat, opening the jugular vein and spewing blood into the air. It coated Samehada and Kisame both, and Kisame grinned. Yeah, that felt great. But not nearly good enough. Turning to the other two ninja that had finally managed to dispatch his clones, he smirked. "Now then, time to play."

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Hinata was steadily making progress in her journey. After a few days she had lost her general nervousness. Now everything was just monotonous. With a heavy sigh, she decided to stop for lunch. The sun was getting hot and she was thirsty. Hearing a river nearby, she dropped to the ground and started toward it. But before she got a dozen steps toward her destination, she stopped. Something didn't feel right. A menacing aura hung in the air. Hinata quickly ducked behind a tree, drawing a kunai as she did so. She listened, but couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. Activating her Byakugan, she scanned the area for life. No one was around, but the river bank looked disturbed. She stealthily made her way toward it, her kunai shaking ever so slightly.

When she cleared the last tree, Hinata's eyes widened in shock and her hand flew to her mouth. The scene before her was absolutely gruesome. The bank was covered in blood. It was everywhere. The grass was coated and the dirt was stained with it. Large chunks of...something was strewn about. She started to gag as she realized that they were the bodies of three people. Ninjas, judging by the gouges in the earth and the senbon still sticking in the ground in various places. And from the way the blood was starting to dry, Hinata figured it had happened sometime the previous day.

Then the smell hit her. It was so overpowering, she started to shake. Dropping to her knees, she wretched violently. Who could have done such a thing? The way they were slaughtered was so cold and unfeeling. Unable to take any more, Hinata shakily climbed to her feet and fled as fast as she could go. She realized that she was in terrible danger. What if whoever did that found her? She was alone with no help in sight. Whoever could take down three ninja that easily would surely outmatch her. She doubled her speed toward Iwa. At least in a town she could hide among the people. Out here, she was a sitting duck.

When she reached what she knew were the outskirts of Iwagakure, Hinata stopped. She couldn't just go barging in the front gates, after all. She jumped to one of the few trees she could see to create a plan. She soon became absorbed in her thoughts. What could she use to get in the gates? She could try to sneak in, but if she were caught, it'd be over before it began. She couldn't say she was a trader, the only thing she carried with her was her pack. She could claim she was lost, but she doubted that would work. If a henge wouldn't work, surely they wouldn't believe that excuse. She thought about using a little "feminine persuasion", but she doubted she could pull it off without blushing or fainting. Maybe a little more scouting of the area would reveal a decent plan. Hinata dropped down to land on a lower branch of the tree.

_ Thunk! _

….

That didn't sound like any branch she'd ever landed on.

"Don't move." a rough voice said. She froze.

Hinata glanced down to see what she had landed on, and wished she hadn't. How she managed it she'll never know, but somehow Hinata found herself balanced precariously on the broadside of one very large wrapped sword.

"If you try to take a single step, your feet will be shredded." the voice added. She added a little more chakra to her feet to make sure she kept her balance, and felt it drain away from her body. She looked at the owner of the voice and paled. The sword was still balanced on the shoulder of one very tall, very menacing looking man. His head was turned toward her and she could see that his appearance was very odd indeed. Dark blue hair seemed to defy gravity as it pointed skyward. His skin was grey with dark gill-like markings below his predatory yellow eyes. His face was all hard lines, not a single curve could be seen. His slashed headband indicated that he was formerly from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Then she noticed his cloak. Jet black with red clouds.

_'Oh Shit'_ Hinata thought, _'Akatsuki'_

Grinning at her obvious fear, the missing nin spoke again. "Well, well, Samehada, looks like we've found a little hummingbird." The sword began wiggling beneath Hinata and she started feeling weak as her chakra was drained away. She felt faint, and she stared at the ninja in front of her.

"G-gomen" she stuttered. Then she started to sway and her world went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Out of all the situations Kisame had managed to get himself into over the years, this was definitely one of the more interesting ones. There he was, standing under a tree on the border of Iwagakure, pondering how he should go about finding this Kisho person that Pein wanted to recruit, when suddenly a kunoichi dropped out of the tree, practically on top of him. If she hadn't had such a shocked look on her face, he would have thought she had done it on purpose. How she didn't lose a leg when she stood on Samehada was beyond him.

After he warned her not to move, he had Samehada quickly drain her chakra, in case she got the idea in her head to attack him. But instead, she had passed out. He caught her before she hit the ground, but she managed to slice open her ankle on the way down. He sat her down against the tree, and stood, ready for another attack. When nothing happened, he stood there frowning. Was this it? Was she really out here alone? Feeling slightly disappointed, he thrust Samehada into the ground and knelt to inspect the unconscious girl.

Two things about this girl caught his interest right away. First, the forehead protector around her neck indicated that she was from the village of Konoha. Since Itachi had a mission in Konoha, she might have valuable information that could help him. Second, when she had looked at him, he noticed that her eyes were a pale lavender with no visible pupils. He figured it was probably due to a bloodline limit. If it was a decent one, Pein might be interested in keeping her around. Either way, until he had found a way to deal with her, Iwa would have to wait.

Kisame looked at her ankle to see how badly she was cut. The wound was bleeding profusely, a small rivulet of blood soaking into her sandal and dripping over to fall on the ground. He stared at it, fascinated. The smell quickly went to his head, making him feel hazy. He clenched his fist, waiting for the bloodlust to rise. Instead of wanting to kill her, a sharp possessiveness rose. Coupled with a faint need to protect was the hint of desire. This new set of feelings confused Kisame. How odd. Even when other women were wounded before him, this had never happened before. What made this girl any different?

Pushing his emotions aside, he quickly bandaged her ankle so she wouldn't leave a trail of blood for others to follow. He then tossed her over his shoulder, and took off for his camp in one of the nearby caves. The last thing he needed right now was to be caught unaware by a patrol with his senses a wreck. Then there would be a bloody mess and Iwa would be on high alert, looking for the perpetrator. When they reached the interior of his temporary camp, he took off his cloak and laid her on it. He then grabbed her pack and sat against the far wall, Samehada resting beside him.

Inside her pack he found the usual assortment of ninja gear, a couple changes of clothes, a survival pack, and a few odds and ends he assumed were mementos. Finally he found a clue as to why she was here. In a zipped pocket in the bottom of the bag was a scroll. He pulled it out and started reading. How ironic. They were both here after the same ninja. That certainly put a new twist on things. He heard the girl start to stir and quickly stuffed everything back inside and set the pack beside him.

He watched her as she slowly brought her hand up to her face. She was a petite thing, and curvier than most kunoichi he had encountered. She looked well built, but it was difficult to tell what was under the lavender jacket she was wearing. Her face was soft and round, very innocent looking while she was asleep. Her long bluish black hair was splayed around her face in a wild pattern. Then her large lavender eyes opened and she was looking at him.

It took Hinata a moment to realize what had happened and where she was. She noted that she felt weak, as if her chakra was extremely low. And she was in a place that was dark and smelled of earth. A cave? And there was a man in front of her. When it hit her that she was alone with a notorious member of the Akatsuki, she sat up with a squeak and blushed furiously. She quickly scooted back against the wall and sat there, trying to control the trembling that had decided to take over her body.

"It's about time you woke up. I thought you were going to sleep all day." Kisame said with a grin.

Hinata didn't know what to say. This was an S-class criminal and an enemy of Konoha. But he hadn't hurt her or left her to be found by the Stone ninja. She felt the cold breeze of the cave tickle her toes and she looked down. Her ankle was bandaged. When did that happen? She didn't remember hurting it. Did he bandage it for her? And she was sitting on his cloak. He must have lain her on it when he brought her here. Now he was trying to start a conversation and she simply didn't know what to say to him. She looked at him and asked the first thing that came to her confused mind.

"W-why didn't you k-kill me?"

"Would you like me to, little kunoichi?" Kisame teased as he grasped the hilt of Samehada.

"N-no" she started softly, "B-but we are enemies. W-why did you s-spare me?"

"It seems I might have a use for you. That is, if you cooperate. What's your name anyway?" Kisame asked.

"H-hyuuga H-hinata." she stammered out.

"Well Hinata, do you know who I am?"

Hinata quickly thought about what she knew of the Akatsuki and it's members. The one she was most familiar with was of course, Uchiha Itachi. He had a partner that he came to Konoha with a couple of years ago. The description of the man was similar to the one sitting across from her. What was his name again. That's right. Kisame. Hoshigaki Kisame.

"Y-your Hoshigaki K-kisame, right?" she said.

"That's right. At least _some_ people from Konoha have brains." Kisame said. It still aggravated him that the Idiot Beast of Konoha hadn't had a clue when they fought a few years back. It wasn't like the world was full of giant sword wielding shark ninjas. "And what's a little leaf nin like you doing so far away from home? Where's the rest of your team?"

"I c-can't tell you t-that. I'm s-sorry." Hinata said. She didn't want to make him mad, but she'd be in big trouble if anyone found out she'd given information to a wanted criminal.

Kisame patted her pack that was still laying beside him. "It's ok, I already know why you're here. Which is a problem we need to talk about. I can't let you finish your mission."

'_The Scroll! He must have went through my bags while I was out. Tsunade's gonna kill me when I get back to Konoha.'_ Hinata glanced at Kisame and Samehada. '_….If I get back._' The possibility that he might just kill her now that he knew her mission made Hinata panic. She might not be able to get her pack back, but if she ran for it now, maybe she'd make it safely away with her life. Then maybe she could get Kisho to Konoha without the scroll. The only hard part would be convincing him to go with her.

Gathering as much courage as she could, Hinata made a mad dash for the cave entrance. Kisame tried to grab her, but she dodged him and kept running. She was nearly out of the cave when she heard a woosh over her head and suddenly Kisame's great sword plunged into the ground directly in front of her, blocking her path. Samehada's blades wiggled menacing, as if trying to reach her and the little chakra she had regained.

Before she made it around this new obstacle, she was grabbed from behind and hauled backward. Arms like bands of steel were wrapped around her torso. She started to struggle, but when she felt Kisame's breath near her ear, she froze. "Relax little hummingbird," he whispered, "I won't hurt you unless you make me." Hinata felt like she was caught in the jaws of a monsterous predator, and any wrong move on her part would end it all. Willing her body to go limp, she waited silently for Kisame to let her go. But even though he loosened his grip some, he seemed content to hold on to her. A little too long to be proper.

He was no fool. Kisame knew that Hinata was still terrified of him. Her body was still, but he knew that as soon as he released her, she would bolt again. So he held her loosely caged in his arms. But he was becoming increasingly distracted. It was her scent that did it. Fear mixed with the smell of woman and forest. When he felt desire start to take hold of him again, he let her go and stepped back. He would never make her fear him about _that. _After all, there was only so much of him that was animal.

Finally released, Hinata stood there blushing. She had never been held by a man in that manner before. As a member of the Hyuuga family and it's current heiress, she was schooled heavily on public appearance and her interactions with the opposite sex. And they watched her closely whenever she was in the village. So her experience was limited to Kiba's arm (who didn't give a damn what her family thought) slung casually across her shoulders and quick hugs from Naruto and the rest of her friends. But this was entirely different. This embrace felt strong and demanding, but there was very little friendly about it.

She turned to face Kisame again, but couldn't find anything to say. A heavy silence fell in the cave. Kisame seemed uncomfortable, as if the whole situation bothered him. Finally, the moment was broken by the loud growling of Hinata's stomach. Kisame looked at her and laughed.

"Hungry?"

"A-a little." Actually she was ravenous. She realized that she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast the previous morning. Before she went to the river..._'Oh Shit!'_ Hinata's eyes widened as she came to the only logical conclusion about who massacred the ninja she had found. Her fear fully returned, but she remained where she stood. There was no way she was going anywhere now. If she provoked him, she might share the fate of the slain ninja.

Trying to remain calm, Hinata walked over to where his cloak lay on the ground and picked it up. She handed it to him, and he returned her pack to her. Sitting down against the wall opposite Kisame, Hinata dug through her pack until she found her food supplies. She looked longingly at her instant noodles, but didn't even bother to ask about a fire. If they were still anywhere near Iwagakure, then it was out of the question. So she made do with another rice ball and a few leftover berries.

Kisame could tell that Hinata was still nervous. He began to wonder how she ever became a ninja, if she was this flighty every day. Or maybe it was just him. His appearance alone made even some seasoned ninjas cower in fear. Looking for some way to normalize the situation, Kisame searched his own supplies until he came up with his own dinner.

"Anyway," Kisame said between bites "Like I was saying earlier. You can relax Hinata. I'm not going to kill you." So much for normal. "But I have to complete my mission here, and I can't risk you interfering. I don't need to tell you how dangerous for me that would be. So you have to stay with me until I complete my mission and we are safely on our way back. After that, Pein will decide what to do with you. But if you don't cooperate, I'll be forced to contain you until my work here is done, and after that? Well, I guess it depends on how much you fight me." Kisame finished with a less than comforting grin.

"O-ok, I won't interfere." Hinata said. She figured that this was a better deal than what she would normally get with any of the other Akatsuki. After she finished eating, she sat staring at the ground. Now she had quite a bit of time on her hands. She looked out of the cave entrance and saw that the sun was setting. Kisame's eyes followed her gaze.

"You might as well try to sleep. I'll be up anyway and there's nothing much else to do." Kisame said.

"H-hai." Hinata replied. She pulled her pack beside of her. Adjusting her jacket and pulling the hood up, she sat in silence. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep tonight. The very situation she was in called for her to be alert for an attack at all times. So she sat and tried to keep her mind occupied by thinking of her teammates and Naruto. How long would it be before they would realize her mission went badly and they came to her rescue? She had a sinking feeling that her fate would be decided long before they were even aware there was a problem.

She didn't think she was sleepy, but as she sat there, the tension slowly ebbed from her body and she felt her eyes droop. A hazy thought entered her mind. What if he tried to do something to her in the middle of the night, and he was just saying she was safe to deceive her? But the thought was soon carried from her as sleep overtook her.

Kisame gazed at Hinata as she slept with a frown on her face. But soon the frown faded and the innocent expression he saw before returned. He watched as her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He shifted some to get more comfortable. Her eyes fluttered slightly as her sleep was on the verge of being interrupted. Slowly Kisame wrapped his cloak around himself and stilled. It was going to be a long night indeed. As Hinata slumbered, Kisame started performing the hand seals for the Akatsuki communication jutsu.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hinata awoke feeling stiff and tired. Her neck and lower back were killing her. Her ankle ached where it had been cut and her feet were freezing from sleeping upright. And she was in dire need of a bathroom. This last thought presented a huge problem. Would Kisame let her go to the bathroom alone? There was no way she'd be able to do it in front of him. If he did, could she safely escape? With a small particle of hope, she opened her eyes to see where Kisame was.

He was still sitting across from her, dozing lightly. His head was resting against the cave wall. The lines in his face looked a little less harsh in sleep, but his mouth was turned down in a frown. One arm hung loosely at his side, while the opposite hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword. His cloak sagged open at the top, and Hinata could see the hint of muscle in the peak of his shoulders.

She thought that it might be incredibly easy to kill him, with him so open like that. Just a kunai in the chest and she would be free. But Hinata knew she could never take a life in cold blood. She just didn't have it in her. No matter how big an enemy he was. And it probably wouldn't work anyway. By the time she would make up her mind to do it, he'd be awake. Surely he was a lighter sleeper than she, being a missing nin and under the constant threat of attack.

As silently as she could, Hinata stood and turned toward the mouth of the cave. She had taken only a few steps, when she heard his half-amused voice call out.

"Going somewhere?"

Hinata blushed. "Um...I need...that is...I...I n-need to g-go to the b-bathroom." Hinata's fingers started their nervous habit, and she looked at her feet, waiting for his reply.

"Leave your shoes." Kisame said nonchalantly.

"W-what?"

"Leave your shoes." he repeated. "That way if you get it in your head to run, you won't get a mile over the rocky ground before your feet are bleeding, and it will be easy enough for me to track you down. You have five minutes."

Hinata gave him a grim look, but nodded her head and quickly removed her sandals. She set them near her pack and slowly picked her way out of the cave. She stopped just outside the mouth and looked around. A vast canyon spread out before her. The floor was several hundred feet below her, and when she looked up, the rim was about ten feet above her head. The cave she was in stood on a lip about fifteen feet wide and about twenty feet long. The morning sun bathed the scene in warming hues of orange and yellow. There was no doubt about it. In this kind of terrain, she'd never outrun him.

Stepping out of sight of the cave entrance, Hinata found a suitable boulder to duck behind and relieved herself. She hastily stepped back into the cave, figuring that her time was close to being up. Kisame was still in the spot she had left him in, deep in thought. With a soft sigh, Hinata sat in her own corner and put her sandals back on after checking her ankle. It was healing well. She should be able to use it normally with no problems. That accomplished, she waited silently for Kisame to tell her what they were going to do today.

The meeting of the Akatsuki the previous night had been extremely beneficial for Kisame. Not only was Itachi a great help with information on Hinata, he had also devised a wonderful plan to take care of Iwa. All they needed now was Hinata's cooperation. If she 'agreed' to help them, this mission would be a cinch. As he sat there going over the details, Kisame thought about the new aspects of Hinata's abilities he had discovered.

Her eyes contained the bloodline limit Byakugan, which could see even the smallest details at an incredible distance in 360 degrees. It also had the ability to see the chakra pathways of any person Hinata targeted. That kind of information gathering ability had Pein excited. He definitely wanted Hinata back at the base as soon as Kisame's mission was completed.

Then there was the Hyuuga clan fighting techniques. She could shut down chakra pathways, practically eliminating all threats except taijutsu. She could extend her chakra and weave a net for a complete sphere of defense. Itachi had heard that Hinata herself had developed a few new ways to use her chakra that were slightly different from the clan's basic attacks. Kisame was very interested to see exactly what those techniques were.

The plan Itachi had come up with was brilliant and easy. If it worked. All they had to do was have Hinata pretend to be a rich heiress (which she was) with Kisame as her bodyguard (which he definitely wasn't) and walk into Iwagakure with the pretense of hiring a ninja for a personal mission. They would specifically ask for Kisho, hire him and walk right out of the village with him. They would keep him in the dark as long as possible as they headed back to base. All they really required was the proper clothing for Hinata and a way to disguise most of Kisame's unique appearance. If they managed to identify him, they would probably mob him, for the bounty from the Land of Water, if not for pure spite.

While he was thinking, Hinata had come back in, and was now waiting expectantly for him to say something.

"We have to make a little trip today. I want your full cooperation. If you think at anytime to escape or ask for help, I won't hesitate to kill you. Got it?" Kisame said harshly.

"H-hai." Hinata replied. Her spirits lifted. They were going somewhere? That thought almost made her smile. Despite his threat, she hoped that there would be some way to at least get a message to Konoha, and let them know she needed help. She thought of Naruto and her team rushing to her rescue, the tearful reunion and a happy trip back to Konoha, safe and sound. Then Kisame interrupted her happy daydream.

"We're going to have to walk today. No chakra use is permitted other than to reach the rim of the canyon. And keep it carefully masked. We can't exactly go walking around advertising the presence of foreign ninja. So the headband and weapons pouch has to go." Kisame ordered. Hinata started to protest, but stopped and clamped her mouth shut. He was right. If she was seen with her headband on, she would be attacked. She wasn't exactly in friendly territory. No use dying for pride.

Hinata lifted her hands and reached to untie the headband from around her neck. The action lifted her jacket and shirt and the slightest hint of pale skin could be seen beneath. Kisame stared at the exposed flesh. His gut clenched hotly. Desire swirled in him and he had to force himself to look away. It had been far too long since he had been with a woman. Trying to distract his wandering mind, Kisame removed his own headband and stuffed it in his pack. Released from it's hold, his dark blue hair drooped around his face, making him tuck it behind his ears. Then he stood to remove his cloak.

It was true that Kisame had his cloak off last night, but Hinata hadn't really been paying attention. She had been too worried about her situation. She knew Kisame had to be strong to wield his massive sword, but Hinata still wasn't ready for the sight that greeted her this morning. When he removed his cloak, she gaped at the sheer amount of muscle. His arms rippled and bulged as he moved. His chest was broad and his stomach flat beneath the mesh shirt he wore. He was honed to perfection from years of fighting. Just like his face, there wasn't a soft spot to be seen. The occasional scars crisscrossing his gray skin told of hard lessons learned.

Hinata realized she had been staring and immediately turned beet red. She averted her gaze to the ground. What was she doing? Why on earth was she gawking at her enemy and current captor? Her friends would be shocked to death if they knew. But still, she couldn't help but wonder what those bulging arms would feel like beneath her fingers.

Grabbing a pair of black pants out of his bag, Kisame shooed Hinata outside so he could change. He was so glad he wasn't stuck wearing the ones he had on. The blue pants with white stirrups were part of his Akatsuki uniform, but he still hated the damn things. He was glad for the change in wardrobe. Finished, he left the cave to find that Hinata was stretching the kinks out of her neck and back. She really needed to stop doing that.

"Are you ready to go?" Hinata nodded. "We need to leave soon. I don't know how far we'll be traveling today." Kisame said. Back inside, he folded his pants and cloak and placed them in his bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, he grabbed Samehada and fastened the sword to his back. Then he walked over to the entrance of the cave to wait for Hinata. She immediately came to his side after shouldering her own pack, and they sprang to the rim of the canyon.

Once on top, Hinata looked around. The landscape was pretty barren. There were a few patches of grass and the occasional tree, but for the most part boulders and rocks made up the scene. Kisame looked at the sky to judge direction, then started walking off toward the west. Hinata fell into step beside him. She was quiet for the first couple of miles, but curiosity soon overcame her.

"K-kisame-san?" she inquired politely.

"Yeah?"

"Umm..w-where are we g-going? Iwa is to the n-north."she asked.

Kisame grinned. "Why, my little hummingbird, we are going shopping."

Hinata gave him a quizzical look that made him laugh. _'Shopping? What the hell?'_ she thought.

She had expected a range of different answers, but shopping was certainly the furthest thing from the list of things she had come up with. Why in the world would they need to do that?

"I have a plan to get into Iwa, but I need your help. And you have to be in a kimono." he said.

"W-what will I b-be doing?" Hinata asked a little apprehensively.

Catching the worried note, Kisame couldn't resist torturing her a little. "I'll tell you when you need to know." he said darkly.

That gave Hinata a very sinking feeling. A million scenarios swirled in her mind, all of them bad. What if he tried to pass her off as a prostitute? There was no way she could let a strange man touch her. What if he tried to sell her? She had no idea if Earth country endorsed slavery, but there could always be a black market for that sort of thing. What if he tried to hand her over to them, so they could hold her for ransom? She doubted very seriously that her father would pay it. In fact, he'd probably be glad to be done with her and name her sister Hanabi as his new heir. She was his favorite child, after all. Hinata knew in her heart that if any of these theories proved correct, then she would have to fight Kisame, and most likely die by his hands. After all, there were some fates worse than death.

After about an hour of walking in silence, they came upon a road. It ran north to south. The way north probably led to Iwa, so Kisame started heading south, Hinata only a step behind. They soon reached a civilian village. Hinata noted that it was about a third of the size of Konoha. Large enough that if there wasn't a fight, they would probably go mostly unnoticed.

As they made their way down the main street of the town, Hinata glanced at the different shops. There seemed to be quite a large variety, everything from dango and ramen stands to general supply stores and even a small flower shop. That made her homesick. She wished she could see Ino, Sakura, and Tenten right now. She was certain that if any of the other girls were in her place, they would have found a way out by now. Feeling rather pitiful, Hinata solemnly followed Kisame.

Kisame stopped in front of a small kimono shop. It was by far, the nicest looking one in the area. Everything was neat and organized. Kisame gave Hinata a final warning glance. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a young woman with long blonde hair and a sweet round face. She glanced at Kisame and paled, but turned to Hinata and gave her a tentative smile. "Can I help you today?" she asked.

"I n-need a k-kimono." Hinata stated.

"A formal one. We are attending a tea ceremony for her aunt. She's rather picky, so it has to be a really nice one." Kisame lied in a smooth voice.

Swallowing her sudden fear, the girl turned and with a wave indicated for them to follow her to the back. Boy did that guy creep her out! Not only was he scary looking, his voice oozed leashed menace. And he was definitely the strongest man she had ever seen. Every muscle on his body practically bled power. How the shy girl beside him could stand his overpowering presence, Kami only knew. She only hoped they would find what they wanted and leave soon.

Reaching the desired section of clothing, the girl stopped. "Here we are. Feel free to look as long as you like. I'll be up front if you need me." she said with a fake smile. She then quickly made her way back to the front of the store and the safety of her counter.

Hinata looked at the row of Kimono. She had no idea what he wanted her to wear. She glanced at Kisame for guidance. He was busily going through each one, and occasionally glancing over at Hinata with a slight frown. And then he pulled one out. It was absolutely gorgeous. Made of watered silk, the kimono started out a light lavender at the top and slowly faded into dark blue at the bottom and on the sleeves. Silhouetted at the bottom in gray were great white sharks. Hinata smiled at the irony.

"Kami sure has a sense of humor. I just couldn't resist it." Kisame said with a wide grin. "We'll get this one." Hinata nodded. She soon picked out a gray obi and under kimono and a pair of suitable shoes. As she passed by a display of combs, she stopped. She would probably need something for her hair. She picked up a silver comb decorated with an anemone. She glanced at Kisame and he nodded. Now that they had everything, they made their way to the counter.

"Ah, that's a beautiful one!" the girl exclaimed. "We just imported that from the Land of Water not too long ago. I know you'll look wonderful in it." She finished ringing them up, and Hinata thanked her as they turned to leave. As they were walking out the door, Kisame glanced back and gave the girl a sharp toothed grin. She felt a shiver go down her spine and she prayed that she never saw him again.

The next stop was a small art shop. The elderly man behind the counter greeted them and inquired what they needed. Kisame told him that Hinata was painting a picture of the nearby canyon, but didn't have the right pigments she needed for a certain section of rock. Picking up on what he was really after, Hinata went through the section of ground pigments and picked out several flesh tone shades. She then grabbed a couple tubes of an oil base and brought them to the counter. Kisame smiled. The girl was pretty sharp. She knew what he needed before he even told her what they were doing. Kisame paid for the supplies and they left the shop with a wave.

Back out on the street, Kisame and Hinata started back toward the camp. The less time they spent in the town, the less likely they were to be seen by someone who might recognize them. They stopped quickly at a dango shop to grab a snack and something to drink. Traveling in the summer was still hot, even as far north as they were. Satisfied, they finally left the town behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"W-we're doing w-what?" Hinata asked in disbelief. She couldn't possibly have heard him correctly. Maybe it was a joke?

"I said, we're going to walk through the front gates tomorrow, visit the Tsuchikage, demand Kisho, and walk out with him. Simple and efficient, don't you think?" Kisame said. They had arrived back at the cave an hour ago, and he was now letting her in on his plans.

"Kisame-san, w-won't they just k-kill us as soon as they s-see us? We are their e-enemies." Hinata asked. She was confused as to how this wasn't a suicide mission. And what about not interfering? She never agreed to play an active role in his plans. That would be the same as betraying Konoha.

Kisame smiled. "They won't know we're their enemies." He explained to Hinata the details of the plan. Her eyes widened in comprehension. "Do you think you can pull it off?" he asked her.

"H-hai." she replied. She was from the noble Hyuuga clan after all. She could easily pretend to be what she practically was. The biggest feat would be keeping her chakra perfectly masked in a village full of ninja who were experts at detecting it. Kisame was another matter as well. Even with his skin tone changed, his face was very unique. So was his sword. Hinata was fairly certain he wouldn't even consider leaving it behind. That would be stupid. If they wound up fighting anyway, he would need it. She prayed silently that the whole village was half blind.

Hinata had to give the plan some credit, however. It didn't involve her being anyone's slave, whore or bait. She was immensely relieved. Maybe Kisame wouldn't have to kill her after all. And if things went well tomorrow, she just might be able to make it home eventually. After they had Kisho, she could find a way for both of them to either defeat Kisame or escape him and run like hell to Fire Country. So if she helped him, she'd be helping herself as well.

The rest of the evening went fairly well. After going over the details, Kisame and Hinata set to work on different tasks. Hinata busied herself with mixing the pigments they had bought into a color that would cover Kisame's skin, while Kisame worked on reinventing the bathtub. Finding a depression in the floor at the back of the cave, he brought down Samehada with a loud crash, deepening it considerably. He then cleared out the loose rocks and used a minor jutsu to fill it with water. As the water was settling, Kisame searched the canyon for some flat rocks that were hot in the summer sun to warm the water with. Satisfied with the final results, he turned toward Hinata.

"We can't have a dusty smelly kunoichi playing dress up, after all." he teased. Hinata blushed and stared at her feet. He thought she was smelly? Feeling awkward and embarrassed, Hinata remained silent. Kisame noticed the change in her demeanor and walked up to her. Placing a hand under her chin, he lifted her head to look at her face. "Hey, I was only teasing you. You're fine. It can't be helped anyway, we've been away from civilization for nearly a week now. Besides, I'm probably a lot dirtier than you." He suddenly grinned wide. "Now get your butt in the 'tub' or I'll strip you down and toss you in myself. I'll wait outside until you are done."

His words had the desired effect. Hinata's eyes widened and she turned beet red. He chuckled at how easily she blushed and walked out of the cave. He sat down just outside the entrance to wait for her. Basking in the warm evening sun, Kisame closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Hinata moving around in the cave.

Hinata grabbed her pack and dug around inside until she found what she was looking for. A bar of scentless soap and her favorite clothes. A dark blue tank top coupled with a matching pair of pants. Checking to make sure Kisame wasn't looking, she quickly shed her clothes and stepped into the water. Never had anything felt so nice. The water was lukewarm, perfect after traveling in the hot sun all day. She knelt down and ducked her head to wet her hair. Lathering up her soap, she kept an eye on the cave's mouth as she washed off the dust and grit. Finally finished, she stood and wrung the excess water from her hair.

Stepping out onto her dirty clothes, Hinata dressed and grabbed her hairbrush from her bag, replacing it with her old clothes. She walked out of the cave to tell Kisame she was finished. She found him sitting quietly, eyes closed. She thought he was asleep, but when she approached, he cracked open one eye and looked at her. "Finished?" he asked. Hinata nodded. "Good. Guess it's my turn then. Give me your shoes."

Frowning, Hinata handed them over. If Kisame was so thorough, she'd have a difficult time escaping, even with another person to help her. If Kisho even sided with her. There was always the off chance that he would either want to go to Akatsuki or stay in Iwa. In either case, she would be screwed. Deep in thought, Hinata sat on a rock and started to brush out the knots in her hair.

Kisame grabbed a change of clothes and headed over to the improvised tub. Stripping quickly, he stepped into the cooling water. Sitting down, he relished the feel of the water as it soaked into his skin. He really hated Earth Country. It was so damn dry. Even the air was without much moisture. That was what he missed the most about Kirigakure. The place was always pervaded by water of one sort or another, whether it was rain, mist, or the dew on the grass in the morning.

As Kisame came out of his reverie, he realized that he had made a very big mistake. He was just about to duck his head under when he caught Hinata's scent infused in the water. It was strong to his enhanced senses, and it made his lust rise quickly. Taking a deep breath, he let his desire wash over him. God, she smelled so good. He wondered how long he would be able to control himself around her. At the rate he was going, not long. Heaven help her if he suddenly lost control.

Kisame washed as quickly as he could. He had to get away from her intoxicating smell. Now. Resisting the urge to wallow in the water, he stepped out and dressed. Finger combing his hair, he took a few calming breaths before he went to the mouth of the cave. Standing at the entrance, he watched her brush her hair. Realizing she was being watched, Hinata turned her head and looked at him.

"Kisame-san?"

"Hmm?"

Hinata hadn't really had a question in mind. She was just uncomfortable with him watching her. He was standing at the mouth of the cave in a clean mesh shirt and a pair of black pants. His massive arms were folded across his chest and he was watching her with an almost predatory stare. His hair was still wet, and she watched as an occasional drop fell to his shoulder and ran down his skin. He didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. Digging around in her mind she finally came up with something to say.

"I've n-never seen anyone w-who looks like y-you. D-does the rest of y-your clan look the s-same way?"

Frowning, Kisame walked right up to Hinata and leaning forward, stuck his face very close to hers. "Does the way I look bother you?"

Blushing at the closeness, Hinata answered. "N-no. I w-was just c-curious. W-we don't have to t-talk about it i-if it b-bothers you." It was true. Hinata had seen plenty of unique people in her own village and out on missions. Both she and her teammates weren't exactly normal either. And she never was one to judge people based on appearance. Seeming satisfied with her answer, Kisame walked to the boulder next to hers and sat down.

"What do you know of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" he asked.

"N-nothing really." Hinata replied.

"Well, about thirty years ago, Kirigakure decided that the skills and strength of it's ninja were lacking. With the Sannin of Konoha becoming famous, the other four villages were looking for ways to boost their strength. Kiri's answer was genetic fusion. They selected a group of newborns from among their strongest clans and using powerful jutsus, fused their genes with those of lesser sea demons they had captured. Only seven of the first group survived. I was their most successful result. They also experimented with basic weapons. That's how I got Samehada." Kisame explained. "The Seven Swordsmen were formed after we had graduated training and proved ourselves with a blade. And to honor those that survived the first experiments, there are always only seven members of the Swordsmen of the Mist."

Hinata was shocked. How sad. Was a village really so power hungry that they would do such things to innocent babies? Konoha would never endorse such terrible acts. In fact, Orochimaru left because his own experiments were considered unethical. No wonder Kisame was a missing ninja. If they did that to their children, what other things did they put their ninja through?

"I'm s-sorry." Hinata said softly.

"Tch, don't be. I don't need your pity. I wouldn't be half as strong as I am without it. It's just who I am." Kisame said with a smirk.

The pair then fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts of places called home as they watched the sunset on the western side of the canyon. The dying light bathed the rocks in hues of gold and orange, making them seem to glow. As the shadows deepened and the light started to wane, Kisame stood and stretched. "C'mon. Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow is gonna be a fun day and we need our strength."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"B-but Kisame-san, I d-don't think I c-can."

"Well I certainly can't do it. You have to."

Hinata blushed. "B-but..."

"Look at it this way, do it or I'll kill you" Kisame said with a smirk.

"H-hai." Hinata held out her hand. Kisame handed over the oil paint and turned around. Hinata coated her fingers with the flesh toned mixture and reached out her hand. With the lightest of touches, she smeared the paint onto his shoulders. She was amazed. His skin was so smooth. And she could feel the muscles rippling under his skin. Feeling a little light headed from all the contact, Hinata steeled her nerves and finished rubbing the pigment into his back.

At Hinata's touch, a shiver went through Kisame's body. He knew it would be torture, but he could think of no other way to get his back finished. He was just glad she couldn't see the look on his face. Her gentle strokes were driving him into a state of ecstasy. Trying to think of anything but what she was doing to him, he waited for her to get finished.

Hinata checked his back one more time for any missed spots, then walked around Kisame to hand him the paint. He just looked so strange. A peach shark? Hinata decided that his bluish gray hue was much more suitable on him. Then she looked at his face. He was standing there with a look of grim determination on his face. Maybe he didn't like being touched. A small part of her was glad she wasn't the only one uncomfortable with the situation. He quickly turned away from her and pulled on his mesh shirt and Samehada's harness.

"Hurry and get dressed. I'll wait outside for you." he said as he grabbed Samehada and walked away from her and out of the cave. Hinata pulled out the kimono they had bought yesterday. It really was beautiful. It must have cost Kisame quite a bit of money. She donned the under kimono and wrapped the silk around herself. Then she realized she had a problem. There was no way she would be able to tie the obi alone. Kisame would have to help her. Blushing at the thought of having to ask him, Hinata slipped her new shoes on and headed for the entrance of the cave.

"Kisame-san?"

"Done already?" he asked.

"N-no. I n-need help. I c-can't tie the obi m-myself." she stammered.

Kisame frowned. "Fine, hand it here." Hinata did so and turned around. Kisame worked the fabric deftly as Hinata instructed him on how to make the folds. Still red from embarrassment, Hinata thanked him and headed back inside to finish her hair. She grabbed her new comb and slid it into her hair over a few sections she had wound up on top of her head. The rest cascaded down her back.

Hinata walked outside. Kisame was waiting for her, Samehada already on his back. He looked her over once and nodding his approval, he jumped to the rim of the canyon, Hinata close behind. They headed toward the road they had traveled the previous day. Once they reached it, instead of heading South, they turned North.

But the closer they got to Iwa, the more nervous Hinata became. She started chewing on her lip in addition to fidgeting with her fingers. She was so lost in her nervous thoughts, she didn't notice when Kisame stopped and grabbed her shoulder. Startled, she bit her lip hard. She winced as a drop of blood appeared on her abused lip.

"Hinata, are you...alright..." Kisame trailed off as the scent of her blood once again filled his head. He stared at the droplet, fascinated. Without thinking of anything other than tasting her, Kisame leaned forward.

"K-kisame-san?" Hinata asked, worried. Her heart started pounding and her breath hitched the closer he came. The image of him swallowing her whole entered her mind. When his face neared hers, his tongue darted out and he gently swiped it along her lower lip, clearing away the blood and soothing the stinging of her lips.

"Mmmm, very sweet." Kisame whispered. Needing more, he leaned closer and captured her lips with his. Hinata couldn't move. Disbelief took her mind. Here she was, standing in the middle of a road in enemy territory, being kissed by an even more dangerous enemy. Her first kiss at that. What should she do? What did she want to do? Her family would surely kill her if they knew. All of Konoha would be utterly mortified. But the recklessness of it was exciting.

Unfamiliar emotions swirled within her. Her stomach felt like it was on fire. And her body started aching. Following her instincts that demanded more, Hinata tentatively wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed Kisame back. Encouraged, he pressed her further, asking for entrance in her mouth. She opened up to him, and he slid his tongue inside, stroking hers. It was extremely gentle and slow, as if he was savoring every moment. Finally needing air, Kisame pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Realizing what was happening, he clamped down hard on his need and turned away from Hinata.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." he apologized. Expecting her anger, or disgust even, he was surprised when she answered him.

"It's okay." she said softly. He looked at her and she smiled. "T-that was m-my first k-kiss. Thank you f-for being so g-gentle." she said. Shocked at her own behavior, Hinata blushed and looked away. She had some serious self explaining to do later.

Kisame grinned wide. "C'mon, Hummingbird. We have a job to do."

The massive stone gates of Iwagakure loomed before them in the distance. As they neared, Kisame dropped back to follow Hinata. With every step they took, he watched the nervousness melt away from her. She stood up straight, lifted her chin, and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her kimono. As the guards noticed the pair's approach, Hinata said aloud, "Ah, we've finally made it. Come along, Makoto."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The guards at the gate were easily persuaded. Hinata smiled at them and asked to see the Tsuchikage. They had looked warily at Kisame, but when she explained that he was her bodyguard, and went everywhere with her, they relaxed somewhat. It only took a few moments to get approval from the Tsuchikage for a visit, and they were ushered inside.

Hinata took the opportunity to look around as she and Kisame were being led to the Tsuchikage's office. The streets weren't very crowded, and those people who were out seemed solemn and quiet. The buildings were made mostly of brick or stone, being the most plentiful material around. They were all in good repair, as was the cobblestone street beneath their feet. The summer sun beat down, heat waves rising from the streets. An air of stillness seemed to hang over the entire village.

The occasional person would stop and watch them as they passed. Hinata just smiled lightly and looked forward again. She could feel Kisame's somewhat comforting presence behind her, but he never made a sound. And his chakra never slipped. It was perfectly masked. Concentrating on keeping her own hidden, it wasn't long before Hinata found herself standing outside the Tsuchikage's office.

The guard politely knocked. After a muffled command to enter, he pushed the door open and Hinata and Kisame stepped inside. The office was spacious and tidy, with bookshelves along the walls and a large wooden desk in the center of the room. Hinata noted that the Tsuchikage's desk lacked the paperwork that always seemed to plague Tsunade's. There were large windows behind the desk, and the room was warm from the sunlight that flooded in.

Kisame leaned casually against the wall just to the left of the door, staying in the shadows as much as possible. Hinata walked to the center of the room and waited for the attention of the man sitting at the desk in front of her. She gazed at the current kage. The Tsuchikage was a middle aged man of medium build with a stern face. His short hair was sandy brown and he had a light tan. He scrutinized both Hinata and Kisame, then narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Is there something I can help you with today?"he asked in a flat voice.

"Yes, forgive the abrupt visit, Tsuchikage-sama. My name is Yamaoka Yume. My father, one of the Daimyo of the Land of the Waterfall, has sent me to ask for your help." Hinata stated.

"It's quite alright. You say you're from the Waterfall Country, don't you think any problems in that land ought to go to Takigakure?" he asked.

"Normally, yes. But the problem we need help with might involve the ninja of Taki. You see, my father has been having a large problem with bandits lately, and the information from our guards leads us to believe that they may be ninja. My father doesn't trust Takigakure because of this, so he sent me to you." Hinata said. Inside her kimono sleeves, she had her forefingers locked tightly together to keep from fidgeting as she was questioned.

"Your companion seems able enough. Is the bandit problem too much for even him?" the Tsuchikage asked as he looked Kisame over once more. Kisame ground his teeth at the insult, but remained silent.

"Makoto is my personal bodyguard. Since I am his only heir, my father instructed him to never leave my side. So he cannot go off to chase ninja bandits and leave me unprotected." Hinata lied smoothly.

"I see. Well, give me a few minutes to assemble a team for you, and you can head back home with help immediately." he said.

"Forgive me Tsuchikage-sama. I left out one important detail that my father made me promise to remember. He said for me to ask for a particular ninja from this village. One by the name of Kisho. He said that he met him sometime back, and would love to hire him. Is he available?" Hinata added.

"Only Kisho?" the Tsuchikage asked.

"Yes. My father said that he had some extraordinary talents, and he should be able to take care of our problems easily."

"It is true that the boy has some talent. Very well." The Tsuchikage summoned an assistant to fetch Kisho. Hinata remained passive and silent while they waited. She was having a hell of a time with her nerves. It took all her composure to appear calm and controlled and not blush, stare at her feet or faint. Kisame shifted his weight occasionally, but made no other moves. Everything seemed to be going as planned. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and a young man walked in.

He was around Hinata's age, about 20 or 21. He was tall, well built, and had a shaggy head of bright red hair that darkened to black at the tips. He was wearing tan pants and a black tee shirt. His skin was tanned dark from training long hours in the sun. A pair of brilliant gold eyes briefly met Hinata's pale ones as he passed her to stand before the desk. He bowed to the Tsuchikage and waited for him to speak.

"Kisho-san, there you are. It's about time." the Tsuchikage started. He gestured toward Hinata. "This is Yamaoka Yume. On behalf of her father, she has requested you for a mission to the Land of the Waterfall. You are to go there and clear up the bandit problem they are having. I'm sure you will receive further details once you reach the Daimyo's mansion. You have one hour to pack. Any questions?"

"Interesting." Kisho said in a soft voice that rumbled slightly. He bowed again. "As you instructed, I will be arriving at the gates in one hour." He then turned around and walked out, giving Hinata a small smile as he passed.

The Tsuchikage and Hinata worked out the terms of payment, to be sent with Kisho when he returned. She then bowed and took her leave. As they made their way out of the office, Hinata could feel the eyes of the kage boring into her back. When the doors finally closed, she let out a sigh of relief. Kisame laid a hand on her shoulder in encouragement. She immediately straightened back up, and made her way outside to wait at the village gates.

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Back inside the office, the Tsuchikage was deep in thought. After a moment he called for an assistant. "There's something wrong about that pair that I can't put my finger on. Something about the girl's eyes. And her bodyguard is no ordinary ninja. Bring me the Bingo book." he said. His assistant rifled through a nearby bookshelf and produced the desired item. Handing it to the kage, he stood aside, waiting further instructions.

Scanning the pictures on each page, the kage found nothing that rang a bell. Until he went through the known ninja of Konohagakure. Suddenly pale lavender eyes were staring back at him. But they belonged to a different person. A boy by the name of Hyuuga Neji. Currently a jounin and possible member of ANBU. He read the description. The boy posessed a dojutsu called Byakugan, inherited from his clan. Then that meant the girl must also be a Hyuuga. And a kunoichi. His mood souring by the second, the Tsuchikage barked for his assistant to fetch an ANBU team immediately.

Scanning the rest of the Konoha nin, he found no match for her companion. Then he remembered that the so called 'bodyguard' carried a huge sword. The only ninja he remembered carrying large swords came from the Land of Water. He found the appropriate section and started scanning photos. Nothing so far. Then he came across a sub section for the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Now he was getting somewhere. His searching was interrupted by the arrival of the ANBU team.

"We've been infiltrated by enemy ninja. I want them killed or captured. Give me just a second, and I'll have more details." he told them. They obediently knelt, awaiting further instruction. The Tsuchikage returned to the pages in front of him. He scrutinized each page carefully. None of the current members matched. Then he went through the pages of known former members.

"Kurosuki Raiga, deceased."

"Momochi Zabuza, deceased."

"Hoshigaki Kisame, S-ranked missing ninja and currently affiliated with...Akatsuki. Kill on sight." He looked at the picture. The skin color was different, but it was definitely the same man with the same sword. A grim frown took his features. This could become difficult. He stood and addressed his men.

"Assemble another team of ANBU. Your targets are Hoshigake Kisame of the Akatsuki and a Konoha kunoichi from the Hyuuga clan. They are trying to abduct Kisho. I want them dead, but wait until they are outside Iwagakure. I want as few casualties as possible." he said sternly. The ANBU rose and swiftly bowed, then disappeared.

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At the gates, Hinata and Kisame were waiting for Kisho to arrive. Exactly one hour after he had left the Tsuchikage's office, he sauntered up to the gates and his current employer. He glanced at Kisame, who glared at him, and bowed to Hinata. She regarded him cooly.

"If we're ready, let's be going. I'd like to make it to the inn before nightfall." Turning away with a swirl of her kimono, Hinata led the way out of the gates of Iwagakure. Kisame followed Hinata and Kisho, a satisfied grin on his face. Hinata had done a brilliant job. She played the part of the self assured heiress to perfection. She never even stuttered once. Which made him wonder why she did stutter so much, if she was capable of not doing it for such a long period of time. Maybe with a little more real self confidence, she would stop completely.

Hinata had never been so glad to leave a place in all her life. She was a nervous wreck through the whole thing. She was waiting every second for the plan to fail and for her and Kisame to be killed on the spot. Now that they were away from the gates, her nervousness began to take it's toll. Her stomach was in knots, and she felt like she could retch at any given moment. Her face turned beet red and her hands started to shake slightly. She looked back at Kisame. He was grinning. That was a good sign. He was pleased with her. That made her relax some, at least enough that she was sure she wouldn't embarrass herself by vomiting.

They were about a mile away from Iwa when hurried shouts could be heard from the village. Kisho turned back toward the town and frowned. "Hmm, I wonder what that's all about."

Kisame's grin faded. Damn, they found them out already? They sure were fast. Well, at least they were out in the open now. And he had already acquired Kisho. Now all they had to do was get away. Looks like he and Hinata were about to see just exactly what the other was capable of. A feral smirk replaced the smile from earlier. He grasped Samehada's hilt and stepped in front of Kisho.

"I guess they figured out that one of their ninja was just abducted by the Akatsuki." he said seriously. Kisho's eyes widened as he pieced together his meaning. Before he was able to react, Hinata had come up behind him, hitting him on the back of the neck, and knocking him out cold. Catching him before he fell, Kisame tossed his body over his shoulder and he and Hinata took off at a dead run. Cursing her new attire and footwear, Hinata tried her best to keep up with Kisame's long strides. She had to boost her speed with chakra, hoping she wouldn't need massive amounts of it if they were caught.

Everything was going well, until a rock decided to intervene. Well, a boulder actually. With a loud rumble, it sprang up from the ground in front of them, causing them to stop suddenly. It was swiftly followed by countless more as they found themselves ringed in stone. The rocks were easily thirty feet tall and each one was about ten feet across and just as thick. On the north side of the ring stood two teams of ANBU, their masks mimicking the local animals. Two ninja wearing a cougar and scorpion mask stepped forward. The cougar spoke.

"Hand over Kisho and surrender." she ordered.

"Sorry, but he has an appointment he can't be late for." Kisame gave a humorless laugh. "So if you'll excuse us, we need to be going now."

"I don't think so. You are going to die right here, Hoshigaki Kisame, for your numerous crimes against the Land of Water and various other countries. And your companion as well, for associating with a known criminal." the scorpion said.

Hinata winced. They were going to kill her just for knowing Kisame? She knew they didn't know she was a hostage as well, and she doubted that they would believe her if she tried to explain. So she resigned herself to defending her life and that of the one person who could get her out of this mess, Hoshigaki Kisame. Activating her Byakugan, Hinata dropped into the gentle fist fighting stance and prepared to fight.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kisame dropped Kisho's unconsious body on the ground behind him. Drawing Samehada from it's harness in one fluid motion, he pointed it at the ANBU.

"You have one chance to withdraw and live. If you insist on staying, however, I will gladly shred you to pieces."

"You're a pretty cocky bastard for a guy that's outnumbered and surrounded. We're not going anywhere. You, however, are headed to Hell. Get ready." the scorpion replied.

"Very well. I gave you a chance. That's all the mercy you will receive." Kisame said as he began forming hand seals. "Suiton: Bakusui Shouha." Kisame's body heaved with the effort of the jutsu. He leaned forward and opened his mouth. Massive amounts of water poured forth. As the cold water rose, swirling around her, Hinata applied chakra to her feet and knelt to hold on to Kisho's body to keep him from sinking into the water. It kept coming, until the stone ring was filled, reminding Hinata of a pool forgotten in the middle of nowhere. When the water finally reached it's peak, Kisame closed his mouth and began forming more seals.

"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu" he said. A water clone appeared. He took Kisho's body from Hinata and jumped backward onto the stones behind them.

"Now we have plenty of room to fight." Kisame said. Hinata nodded in response.

All of the ANBU had drawn their swords except the one with the scorpion mask. He began forming hand seals of his own.

"Doton: Gan'u Bunshin no Jutsu" the scorpion said menacingly. A great wind rose around the combatants, stirring dust and small rocks into the air. The swirling became heavier and heavier as larger rocks were swept upward into the air, some emerging from the water beneath them. Kisame and Hinata had to apply more chakra to their feet to remain upright against the force swirling around them. Then, as suddenly as it came, the wind died away.

After a moment of silence, rocks started raining down, pelting Kisame and Hinata. As the jutsu gained force, the rocks became larger and larger. If any of them hit, they would be crushed. Kisame spun Samehada over his head deflecting the rocks that would have hit him. His clone did the same, protecting himself and Kisho, who lay still at his feet. Hinata stretched out her hands and began to spin in place. The fabric of her kimono swirled around her gracefully. Her long hair floated around her, fanning wide. She increased speed, her image becoming a blur.

"Hakkeshou Kaiten!" she shouted. The force of her turns combined with her chakra created a barrier that the falling stones bounced off of and landed harmlessly into the water. As the jutsu came to a finish, Hinata's spinning slowed. She stopped and dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. The last few stones dropped harmlessly beside her.

They had no time to rest however, as two more ANBU charged at them, swords drawn. As Hinata climbed back to her feet, she reached for a kunai from her pouch, only to find her hand grasping the silk of her kimono. '_Damn it!' _she cursed to herself. Of all the times to be without her weapons, this was one of the worst. She glanced over at Kisame. He was already engaged in fierce swordplay, the wrapping quickly falling away from Samehada, revealing it's serrated blade. Back on her feet, she raised her hands in front of her. Sharpening the chakra in her palms, she met the ninja running towards her.

Hinata ducked low, the katana aimed at her missing completely. She brought her palms forward, making contact with her opponents knees. Slicing them open, she ran her palms upward, creating large gashes in the ninja's thighs.

"You bitch!" the ninja howled in pain. He swung his sword at her again. Hinata easily dodged it and jumped backwards, out of range. The ninja began forming hand seals. "Doton: Dorou no Jutsu." The water beneath Hinata's feet started churning as a section of rock started to emerge. Before she had time to move, it wrapped around her body, caging her in. Only her head and hands were left free. Hinata struggled to free herself, but couldn't budge the rock. The ANBU smiled beneath his mask.

"Now then. Where was I? Oh yes, I was just about to kill you." he mocked as he stepped up to Hinata and raised his katana. She met his masked gaze levelly. "Any last words, rogue kunoichi?"

"Y-yes. N-never underestimate the c-chakra range of a H-hyuuga." Hinata said softly. With the merest whisper of sound, Hinata's chakra pierced the ninja in the chest. He looked at her wordlessly, eyes wide, blood running down his torso. His jutsu released and he fell at her feet, dead. She watched, slightly horrified, as his body sunk beneath the water.

The cougar, enraged, screamed at her. "How dare you! You'll regret the day you ever set foot in the Land of Earth!"

Hinata took the time to check on Kisame and see how he was faring in his battle. He was standing calmly a few yards away from her, apparently unharmed. The heat of summer was starting to make him sweat, and great drops of it rolled down his bulging arms, carrying away the paint, leaving him with an almost striped appearance. All his visible muscles were taut with adrenaline. He was grinning maliciously. His opponent was trapped in a sphere of water, and was drowning. Hinata looked away, unable to watch as the ninja's body started to convulse.

Just as she looked back, the cougar masked ANBU reached her. With a mighty swing, Hinata was punched in the face and sent flying back. _'A lesson in inattention.'_ she thought as she skidded to a halt. She felt the heat on her face as her cheek started to swell slightly. "That was for my teammate. Now prepare to die." she said and raised her katana and charged Hinata.

Letting go of the chakra keeping her on the surface, Hinata sunk beneath the water before the sword made contact. Swimming down, she waited to see what the other kunoichi would do. It seemed that the ANBU was content to let her drown. She stood on the surface of the water, watching her with her sword ready. As soon as Hinata would try to surface, she would strike. Hinata had gotten herself trapped! Then, Hinata noticed something moving in the water to her left.

Her eyes widened. Three huge chakra sharks were heading her way! Just knowing she was about to be a meal, Hinata tried to swim away. But her soaked kimono and heavy sandals kept her from moving very fast. She was quickly surrounded. Just when she thought it was the end for her, the sharks swam up beside her and started herding her to the surface. She had one on either side of her and one ahead of her, sweeping her upward.

This close, Hinata was amazed at the intricacy of the jutsu. With her Byakugan she could see the tendrils of chakra that ran through their bodies and out their tails to the surface. She reached out a hand and ran it through the body of the closest one. Like a phantom, it had substance but wasn't solid. And the energy of the chakra made her fingers tingle.

As she breached the surface, the lead shark grabbed the sword arm of the kunoichi above her. Her arm was shredded to ribbons. It released her and dived back under the water. Hinata once again stood on the surface in front of her opponent, her escort now gone beneath the water. Astounded, she looked over at Kisame. He was grinning at her.

"Oi, don't die on me yet, girl!" he shouted. She started to thank him, but he had already turned he attention back to the ninja he was currently fighting. This one had the mask of a prarie dog. Facing the cougar once again, Hinata dropped into her fighting stance and waited.

Holding her arm and breathing heavily, the cougar stared Hinata down. "You got lucky, girl. But this is the end for you!" she said as she came at Hinata once again, sword raised in her other hand. Hinata engaged in a flurry of taijutsu, blocking the sword and steadily using her chakra to open cuts on the enemy ANBU. Finally unable to continue close range combat, the kunoichi back flipped out of reach and withdrew to her teammates. But she had scored a few hits. Hinata's arms had several deep cuts which were bleeding profusely.

Hinata fell back, chakra beginning to run low. She was sure she was a terrible sight. Soaking wet, hair matted, and blood running down her arms. Yep, she sure was the ideal picture of an heiress now. Glancing over at her opponents, she counted them up. Five left with one heavily wounded. _'I won't last much longer fighting alone'_ she thought. She headed toward Kisame, forming a plan as she went. He had just brought Samehada down on his opponent's neck, and kicking him back with his foot, cut into his flesh, causing blood to spray upward into the air. As the body sank, the water around his feet became murky. Trying to ignore the gristly sight, Hinata approached. When she reached Kisame's side, she spoke. "I h-have an idea. It's the o-only way b-both of us m-may survive t-this. If w-we don't f-finish soon, Iwa will s-send more n-ninja."

"Well, let's hear it." he said amused. The battle so far had him in a very good mood.

"Using S-samehada, launch me f-forward. That w-will surprise t-them. I'll use my J-jyuuken to shut d-down their chakra system. While I'm d-doing that, you use Samehada to d-drain their chakra and t-take them down."

"You'll be right in front of me. I might hit you."

"Don't w-worry about it. With my B-byakugan, I can see w-when you s-swing. I can d-dodge really w-well. I'll be able to d-dodge your swings, b-but they won't."

"And if you can't?"

"Then you'll h-have one less b-burden on your h-hands." Hinata said seriously.

The problem was, Kisame didn't really think of her as a burden. Since their kiss that morning, he was seriously entertaining the idea of keeping her around. She intrigued him. She appeared weak, but was infinitely strong underneath her shyness. Her plan just might work, but they both had to execute it perfectly.

"Alright, get behind me and get ready." he said.

Hinata backed up until she was behind Kisame. The enemy ANBU took it as a sign of her withdrawal. The scorpion laughed. "Done already, kunoichi? Pitiful that your friend has to protect you because you are so weak."

Kisame laughed loudly. "You haven't met my Hummingbird, have you? She's really quite fierce. Not weak at all. Prepare yourselves to fall at the hands of Hoshigaki Kisame and Hyuuga Hinata!" he shouted. At that moment he lowered Samehada to the ground behind him. Hinata carefully placed her foot on the end of the great sword, stabilizing it with added chakra. Sinking through her knees she pushed off of the surface of the water, just as Kisame brought the sword forward in a great arc, launching her into the air, straight at the ANBU. Her hair whipped in the wind and the sleeves of her kimono spread wide, reminding Kisame of the very nickname he had given her. As she touched the surface of the water, Hinata skidded forward, coming to a stop directly in front of the cougar.

"Jyuuken!" she shouted and hit the enemy kunoichi in the chest.

"Hakkeshou Rokujuu Yonshuu!" Hinata's hands became faster and faster as she pummeled the cougar with her hands, shutting down her chakra points as she went. The enemy nin was pushed back by the force, and started to sink with the lack of chakra in her feet.

As soon as Hinata engaged the cougar nin with her 64 palms, Kisame charged. Swinging Samehada in an arc in front of him, Hinata ducked and rolled out of the way just as the sword made contact with the cougar's side, ripping a large gash in her skin. Blood started pouring out of the wound. The spray coated Hinata's face and a droplet rolled down and dripped off her chin. Ignoring it, she moved on to the next ninja. She nearly paused as she heard the sound of the cougar ninja draw her dying breath. But she couldn't stop now. The element of surprise would wear off soon, then they would really be busy.

Her next target, with the mask of a hawk, swung his sword at Hinata. She never even flinched as metal clanged near her head. Kisame had moved to block the attack. With her opponent busy fending off Samehada, Hinata began her next barrage of attacks. She finished just as Kisame drew back to strike. She jumped high into the air as Samehada came across in an arc, catching the ninja in the stomach. He fell, sinking into the water as the contents of his stomach were spilled.

Hinata landed beside of Kisame. The three remaining ninja had fallen back. The scorpion stood behind the two remaining ninja. "Take out the girl!" he yelled to them. They launched kunai at Hinata. She stepped in front of Kisame and he brought Samehada in front of them both. The blades bounces harmlessly away. Using a little more caution, the pair of ANBU charged, splitting up and coming at them from both sides.

Kisame spun Samehada in his right hand, effectively preventing attack from that side, which left Hinata open on the other side. She charged the ninja, and as they met, she reached up and shut the chakra down in his wrists, then his knees. He started sinking, unable to keep himself on the surface. Floating in the water, he tried to slice her legs with his sword. She simply dodged him, running out of reach. No longer a threat, Hinata left the bobbing ninja to Kisame and ran around him to the other side.

Neither Hinata or Kisame noticed that the ninja with the scorpion mask had disappeared. Hinata had just reached the ninja on the right when her ankle was grabbed from beneath the surface, and she was pulled back under. She took a deep breath before her head went beneath the surface. She struggled with the ninja that had a hold of her, trying to break free. He kept dragging her further and further down toward the bottom. She realized in horror that he was trying to drown her, even if it cost his own life. Trying not to panic, Hinata hit the ninja harder as her vision started to blur.

Just as suddenly as she went under, his grip broke and he was pulled away from her. Kisame had come after them and now had the man by the neck, hurtling towards the bottom. She swam as fast as she could for the surface. When she could finally breathe again, she gulped in the air. Climbing back onto the surface, she looked around. The other two ninja were gone. She stood defensively, turning in every direction, but they were nowhere to be seen.

A few minutes later, Kisame's head broke the surface. The paint had washed completely off and the bluish gray hue of his wet skin had returned. He climbed up, and Hinata staggered over to him. "We n-need to go, Kisame-san. The other t-two ninja are g-gone. I t-think they w-went after h-help. I don't t-think I have enough c-chakra to f-fight again." As she reached his side, she started to topple over. Kisame grabbed her and she leaned heavily against him. Her breathing was labored and she was starting to feel light headed. She deactivated her Byakugan to keep from passing out.

"You can't run in that state. Guess I'm stuck carrying you." He teased. He created another water clone to follow them and, returning Samehada to it's harness, Kisame gently picked her up himself, bridal style.

"B-but, Kisame-san, I'm all w-wet and b-bloody." she tried to push away from him. He tightened his grip on her.

"Don't worry about it." he said.

They jumped to the top of the rocks, where the first clone waited with Kisho's body. Moving as one, Kisame and the clones jumped to the ground outside the ring of rocks. Kisame released his first jutsu and water started pouring through the cracks in the rocks and soaking into the thirsty ground. Without chakra to support it, the ring of rocks also started to crumble, receding back into the earth. When everything settled down, all that was left were six broken bodies lying in the mud.

Finally resigned to being carried, Hinata rested her head against Kisame's chest. Her hair cascaded over his arm in a raven waterfall. She could feel the water dripping off her kimono and sliding between their bodies. She hadn't realized how tired she was. Her chakra was nearly gone, as was her physical energy. Her wounds had finally stopped bleeding, but her arms were a mess, and the blood loss was starting to take it's toll. Kisame's body was so warm against hers. And she was so sleepy. Unable to keep her eyes open, she snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep.

Suiton: Bakusui Shouha- Water Element: Explosive Water Shockwave

Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu: Water Clone Technique

Doton: Gan'u Bunshin no Jutsu- Earth Element: Rock Rain Clone Technique (Rock Rain is a naturally occuring phenomenon in the Land of Earth.)

Hakkeshou Kaiten: Eight Trigrams: Rotation

Doton: Dorou no Jutsu- Earth Element: Earth Prison Technique (hope that's right, lol)

Jyuuken: Gentle Fist

Hakkeshou Rokujuu Yonshuu: Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Kisho's sexy self is all mine. Mwahaha

Chapter 8

Kisame stopped at the cave long enough for his unburdened clone to grab his and Hinata's packs. Hinata barely stirred in his arms when they came to a halt. She sighed in her sleep and turned her face into his chest, then went still once more. Taking off once again, he headed toward Hidden Rain and the Akatsuki base.

Carrying Hinata in his arms made Kisame feel strange. The smell of the battle, the scent of her blood mixed with that of their enemies', and her forest infused sweat had him on edge. The sight of her wounds sent an uncontrollable rage through him. The fierce protectiveness was back. He mentally dared anyone to try and take her away from him. But at the same time, he prayed no one disturbed him. He didn't know if he would be able to control his actions, when Hinata had him feeling this way.

As he ran, he occasionally glanced down at her. Her face wore the same peaceful expression it had the first night they spent in the cave. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his. The sound of her steady breathing soothed his whirling emotions. He started to smile. '_What the hell is wrong with me?'_ he asked himself. He prayed that whatever had his hormones in an upheaval would make up it's mind soon. Because an emotionally confused, out of control Kisame could be a very bad thing. At least for everyone else. Pushing it all out of his mind, he concentrated on the path ahead of him and tried to ignore the feelings the little kunoichi in his arms was invoking.

Slung over the clone's shoulder, Kisho began to stir. Groaning at the pain in his head, he cracked his eyes open to see the ground rushing by beneath him. Lifting his head, he saw three versions of Yume's bodyguard. One was carrying him, one had a couple of bags on his back and the third cradled Yume in his arms. He noticed that she was wounded. And her once pristine kimono was soaking wet and dirty. Had there been a fight? How did he get knocked out? Surely the girl couldn't have done it. Assuming that the bodyguard carrying her was the real one, he addressed him.

"Will you put me down already?" he asked in his low voice.

Kisame and the clones halted. Kisho was dropped roughly to the ground. He landed on his butt, his red and black hair falling into his face. Shaking his head to clear his vision, he glared at Kisame. His gaze was met with a cold stare. The clone behind him disappeared in a spray of water. Kisho stood and dusted himself off.

_ 'I guess they figured out that one of their ninja was just abducted by the Akatsuki'_ the bodyguard had said. Which meant that the mission he was supposed to be on was a complete farce. And the so called 'heiress' was probably nothing more than a well trained kunoichi. Maybe she _had_ been the one to knock him unconscious. He was more than a little curious as to why they wanted him specifically.

"Who are you really?" he asked.

Kisame gave him a feral smile. "Hoshigaki Kisame. Former ninja of the Village Hidden in the Mist and current member of Akatsuki."

"And the kunoichi?"

"Is none of your business." Kisame's smile had faded and he was watching Kisho carefully. His hold on her tightened slightly, causing Hinata to stir and open her eyes. She gazed sleepily up at Kisame. Remembering what had happened and her current position, she blushed and started to ask to be put down. Until she saw the look on his face. His dangerous demeanor and tense body caused her to remain still in his arms. Without moving, she silently activated her Byakugan. She could see Kisho standing a few feet away from them, looking less than pleased.

"What do you want with me?" Kisho asked. His voice was still low, but it had a very ominous tone.

"Nothing. Leader-sama, however, has asked for you. So we're going to meet with him." Kisame said.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'll beat you to a pulp and drag you there. Either way you go is fine with me. But Leader-sama hates to be disappointed. So let's not keep him waiting."

"I'm not going." Kisho said stonily.

"What?" Kisame narrowed his eyes. "You don't have a choice in the matter."

"I am a ninja of Iwagakure. I am loyal only to my village and the Tsuchikage." he replied.

Feeling a little uncomfortable with the way this situation was going, Hinata looked up at Kisame. "K-kisame-san?"

He glanced down at her. "Yeah?"

"C-could you p-please put m-me down? You c-can't beat anyone and c-carry me at the same t-time." she said. Kisame grinned at her and set her on her feet. She was a little wobbly at first, but soon steadied herself and stepped back from the two men. The remaining clone came to her side. Kisame pulled Samehada from it's harness. This would be a perfect opportunity to test Kisho's skills.

"The only way you are leaving is to defeat me. So come on, if you think you can, that is." Kisame challenged.

"Very well." Kisho took a step back. He brought his hands together and closed his golden eyes. Chakra started swirling around his body, growing larger and denser by the second. After a moment, he opened his eyes. His irises were swirling with focused chakra. Forming hand seals, he started a jutsu. "Stone Lion Summons" he said.

The ground started rumbling. Loose rocks and dust came toward Kisho swiftly. Larger boulders emerged from the earth. Kisho extended his hand and touched the nearest rock. His chakra started pouring into the rocks. The other rocks were drawn together and fused. Manipulating the shape, Kisho created a large cat from the stones. It's height reached his shoulder and it was about five feet long. With a slight rumbling noise, it stepped forward, staring at Kisame with sightless eyes.

Kisame was impressed. The detail of the construct nearly rivaled that of Deidara's birds or his own sharks. He wondered how powerful an attack this jutsu had. Kisho had brought his hands back together and was staring at Kisame. With an unspoken command, the stone lion charged. Kisame lunged forward, Samehada in front of him. The two met with a violent thud. The force of the attack pushed Kisame back a few feet, spraying dust into the air. Locked together, the lion had Samehada in it's jaws. Kisame smirked. The great sword started wiggling as it drew the chakra from the cat. Without the force of the jutsu holding it together, the beast crumbled back into a pile of rocks once again.

Angry that his work was so quickly undone, Kisho started forming more hand seals. "Pride of Lions Summons" he cried. Once again the earth shook as it was drawn together in front of Kisho. Chakra swirled around the rocks. It was difficult to see what was happening through the debris that moved through the spinning mass. When the dust settled down, Kisame could see six lions, similar to the first, surrounding Kisho. As a unit, the lions charged.

Hinata was confused as to what she should do. Should she help Kisho defeat Kisame? If they won, they would be free to return to their villages. Hinata doubted that it was possible, since they had just defeated eight ANBU and Kisame barely seemed to be winded from it. She, on the other hand, had nearly used up her entire chakra reserve and all her techniques just to defend herself. Without her chakra restored, and wounded as well, she wouldn't be much help to Kisho. A taijutsu attack would be useless. Kisame could swat her away like a fly.

Plus, it just didn't seem right to turn on him now. Yes, she was his hostage. And she did want to go home. But the whole time they had been together he had never once mistreated her. He even seemed to be attracted to her. He had kissed her. And she had kissed him back. Why had she done that anyway? Was it just an impulse? Or had she felt something more? With a frown, she turned her attention back to the scene before her.

Kisame was holding his own against the stone lions. One had already been drained of it's chakra, and he was fending off two more. Samehada was excited. It's blades were practically undulating with the prospect of devouring more chakra. Suddenly, Kisho scored a hit. As Kisame was draining the lions in front of him, another slammed into him from the side, knocking him down. The remaining two pounced on him, and Kisame was lost to Hinata's view.

Kisho smiled. He had him now. Even if the lions were drained of their chakra, he would still be crushed beneath the rubble. Then everything went still. Samehada had managed to eat the last of the remaining chakra, and the lions had fallen. Hinata watched expectantly, holding her breath. Nothing happened for a moment. Then one of the rocks started moving. With a great heave, it was tossed into the air. It landed with a thud a few feet from Kisho. Kisame slowly emerged from the rock pile. He had several deep gashes on his chest and arms, and his face was cut and bleeding. Kisho's smile faded.

Kisame bent down and retrieved Samehada from the rocks. Swinging it up to rest on his shoulder, he glared at Kisho. Raising a hand, he wiped some of the blood from his face.

"Not bad, boy. I think Leader-sama will like you. But it's time to end this game. So get ready, brat, here I come." Kisame said. He charged Kisho just as the redhead was starting to form more hand seals. But before he could finish, Kisame had reached him. Kisame punched Kisho hard in the gut and sent him flying back.

Landing on one knee, Kisho coughed, spitting up blood. He quickly regained his footing, however, and ran at Kisame. Kisame tried to punch him again, but Kisho dodged him and grabbed his arm. Kisame felt his chakra being drained away. But he had always had a massive amount, and was barely affected at all. Breaking away, he smirked. "Do you really think that trick will work on me? I'm no genin. Your chakra, however, is becoming bothersome. Let me take care of it for you." Kisame brought Samehada down on Kisho's shoulder.

Kisho felt himself weakening under the power of the sentient sword. His chakra was nearly depleted. Because of his own draining ability, he couldn't store large amounts at a time. Feeling light headed, he sank to his knees, defeated. Kisame drew his sword back, shredding Kisho's shoulder. He winced at the pain, but said nothing. He clamped his hand over the wound to staunch the blood flow.

"Something to remember me by." Kisame said. "Now get up. I'm not carrying your ass around anymore. And if you try anything else, orders or not, I'll kill you. Got it?" Kisho nodded and stood up. Kisame turned and walked over to Hinata, not missing the daggers Kisho was glaring into his back.

"Feeling better, Hummingbird?" he asked. Hinata nodded. "Good. Go help Cat Boy bandage his shoulder so we can get out of here. I'm sure half of Iwa is pissed and on our tail by now."

"H-hai." Hinata walked over to Kisho. She reached out to help with his shoulder, but he drew away and glared at her.

"I can do it on my own. I don't need a traitor kunoichi to play nurse to me." he said angrily. Hinata stared at her feet, hair falling in her face.

"B-but I'm n-not..."she started to say. Doubt filled her mind. Was she a traitor? She had helped Kisame with his mission to abduct Kisho. Konoha would definitely have something to say about it when they found out. And she had willingly helped him battle the ANBU. But she hadn't done anything against Konoha itself. Tsunade might understand and forgive her if she explained the circumstances. Before she could think about anything else, Kisame had stepped between her and Kisho. She could tell by the muscles bulging in his neck and the tight grip he had on his sword that he was angry. Very angry. He was emanating a deadly aura that made Hinata shrink back from him.

"Leave her alone." he said fiercely. "She is just as much my hostage as you are. However, unlike you, she is smart. She knows when she is outmatched and cannot win a battle. Now hurry the hell up, or I might change my mind and kill you anyway."

Kisho said nothing. He wrapped up his shoulder in a bandage and stood. Kisame dismissed his final clone and handed Hinata her pack, while shouldering his own. Ready to leave, the trio took off, Kisame in the lead, Hinata and Kisho close behind.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sun was well below the horizon when the trio stopped to make camp. They had managed to cross the border out of Earth Country an hour before without any additional trouble. Kisame found a suitable overhang in a cliff to sleep under. It was situated next to a river. Hinata was grateful for that. She couldn't wait to get cleaned up and back in her regular clothes again. And she needed to clean and bandage her wounds soon. She couldn't risk getting an infection. The bleeding had stopped long ago, but the gashes would be enough to make her very sick if they weren't treated properly.

Kisho slumped sulkily down. He hadn't said a word the whole time they were traveling. Now he watched his new companions carefully. His golden eyes glowed softly as he analyzed their chakra levels. Kisame's was massive. He had more chakra than any one person he had ever seen. The girl's, on the other hand, was almost as low as his. Maybe in a day or two, when they were both fully restored, he could drain her and be strong enough to defeat their captor and escape. But for now he needed to lay low and regain his strength.

Kisame rummaged through his pack until he produced bandages and some antiseptic salve. He also retrieved his Akatsuki uniform and a fresh shirt. Now that their cover was blown, he had to don the black cloak with red clouds and those damnable pants once more. He noted that Hinata was engaged in similar activities. They headed toward the river at the same time. Glancing back to make sure Kisho was staying put, he knelt at the water's edge and began cleaning the drying blood off his arms and face.

Hinata tore off a section of her bandage to use as a wash cloth. Dipping it in the cool water, she wrung it out and began cleaning her wounds methodically. They stung as she worked on them, but she did her best to ignore the pain and made sure they were thoroughly clean. By the time she was finished, her cloth was stained pink and a few of the wounds had started to ooze again. She applied her antiseptic cream and wrapped them tight enough to prevent further bleeding.

She headed toward a lone tree that stood a few feet away. It would afford her a small amount of privacy while she changed clothes. Stepping behind it, she pulled a fresh pair of capris on underneath her kimono. She reached behind her and untied her obi, letting her kimono fall away. She quickly pulled her shirts on and grabbed the discarded kimono and obi. She then headed back toward her companions.

When she reached her pack, she folded her dirty clothing and placed them neatly in the bottom of her bag. Pulling the comb from her hair, she added it to her bag, her hair falling back to it's usual style. She tied her forehead protector in its customary place around her neck and replaced her weapons pouch. Then she approached Kisho. Sitting as near to him as she dared, she watched Kisame silently as he bandaged his arms and chest. He stood up from the river and wandered off to change, leaving Hinata staring at the empty riverbank. The minutes stretched by until Kisho finally spoke.

"So you're from Konohagakure, huh?" he asked quietly, indicating her protector.

"Y-yeah." she replied.

"What's your name?"

"Hyuuga Hinata."

"What were you doing in the Land of Earth? And how did you end up getting captured by the Akatsuki?" he asked a little more forcefully.

"W-well, Hokage-sama sent m-me on a mission to f-find you. She said to g-give you a scroll I have in my p-pack and t-to escort you to Konoha if you accepted the t-terms in the scroll." Hinata explained. Her fingers started fidgeting as she spoke. "I r-ran into Kisame-san by accident."

"So, why did you help him?" Kisho asked, narrowing his eyes and glaring at her.

Hinata blushed. "I...that is...I wanted to h-help him so that we could g-get you out of Iwa and...umm... then I f-figured we might...umm... be able t-to escape and g-go to Konoha." she said, head bowed. "But I don't t-think we'll be able t-to do it, now. He's v-very strong."

Kisho sat in stony silence, thinking. Then he gave Hinata a determined look, his golden eyes practically glowing. "I'm not going. To the Akatsuki or to Konohagakure. I'm a ninja from the Land of Earth. And I take orders only from the Tsuchikage. As soon as I can, I'm going back. Even if I have to die doing it."

Hinata stared at the ground. So Kisho wouldn't help her after all. Her last plan to get home had just evaporated. She was beginning to feel like fate had her in a choke hold and was dragging her to some unknown future. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to wish desperately that Shino, Kiba and Naruto would come and save her. Take her back home to the dear and familiar. She was frustrated and confused. Feeling a little down, she sat and stared at the water in the river, flowing away from her, and wondering what would happen to her now.

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Tsunade sat at her desk, staring down a pile of paperwork that the ever dutiful Shizune had dropped off an hour ago. She just knew that at any moment it would give up and disappear. She pulled the top sheet off and stared at it. Releasing a heavy sigh, she dropped the paper on her desk and grabbed her bottle of sake. Taking a large gulp, she set it back on the desk and turned to watch the sun setting out the large window behind her.

With her head cradled in her hand, the Hokage's thoughts began to wander. Hinata should be about finished with her mission and on her way back home now. Hopefully, the Iwa nin, Kisho, was with her. He would really be a great asset to the advancement of the medic nin program in Konoha. His ability to extract and manipulate chakra would make him an excellent healer. Then, a sinking feeling started in her mind and moved to her stomach. What if the situation got out of hand and Hinata wound up in trouble? Maybe she should have sent a full team instead of just one ninja. The added risk might have been worth the extra security.

She heard a soft _woosh_, and ducked instinctively. Her senses alert, she looked cautiously around for the source of the noise. When she looked back at the window, a small smile made it's way onto her face. There on the ledge of the open window sat a small hummingbird. It was an unusual color, jet black with a pale throat. Tsunade held very still, not wanting to scare it away. The small bird's intelligent eyes gazed pointedly at the Hokage. It chirped one time and flew off.

Turning back to her desk once more, Tsunade's smile faded. The stack was still there. Stubborn thing. The feeling from earlier hadn't gone away, either. She picked up her pen. She attempted to read the first line, pen hovering close. She was still in that position when Shizune marched in ten minutes later, Tonton on her heels. She gave Tsunade an exasperated look.

"Tsunade-sama, I had hoped you would be done with that pile by the time I came back" she said as she laid another stack of papers beside the first. Then she noticed the look on her face. "Tsunade-sama, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." she answered seriously. "I just keep getting this feeling that something is going wrong with Hinata's mission."

"I'm sure she's fine. You are just worrying too much." Shizune said as she lightly tapped the pile of papers on the desk.

"Maybe." she said, then changed the subject. "By the way, I need one of the recon ANBU summoned. I have a mission for them."

Shizune frowned as she left the Hokage's office to fetch the ANBU. She didn't remember any mission orders of that sort today. What wasn't Tsunade telling her now?

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Kisame sat watching the river flow in silence, Samehada lying beside him as usual. The other two had fallen asleep hours ago, Kisho across the small fire from him, and Hinata a little closer to his left. The evening had passed quietly, with a tense air hanging over the camp. After he came back from changing, Hinata and Kisho were sitting together in silence. Kisho looked angry and Hinata had looked depressed. He wondered what that idiotic prick had said to her this time, but didn't bother asking.

They each had consumed a meal in silence, then lay down, exhausted. Hinata had fallen asleep almost immediately. Kisho glared at Kisame a while, then turned over and ignored him. About twenty minutes later, his steady breathing and light snores indicated his loss of consciousness. Now Kisame was alone with the darkness. He mindlessly watched the water flow downstream and listened to the incessant gurgle of the liquid hitting the rocks.

As the night wore on, a chill descended, accompanied by a heavy fog. Kisame breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh moisture. He stretched and wrapped his cloak a little closer around himself. With the river now obscured from sight, Kisame turned his head to watch Hinata sleep. She was frowning, and her eyes were moving rapidly behind her lids. Her breathing hitched, and with a groan, she rolled over. She was still once more. Kisame turned his attention to the fire, watching the remains of the hot coals slowly burn down.

With a gasp, Hinata sat up, wide awake. She was panting heavily and she looked around in fear. Realizing where she was, her breathing steadied. She glanced around to see if anyone else was awake, and saw that Kisame was looking at her intently.

"Bad dreams?" he asked, his usual smirk in place.

Hinata nodded. Actually it had been a horrible nightmare. It had reminded her of the horror stories told of the Mangekyou Sharingan. There had been blood everywhere. Mixed in with the blood had been small, black feathers. Hinata had been sitting in the middle of a pool of it, with the cougar masked ANBU standing over her. She had smacked Hinata in the mouth and jerked the headband off her neck. "Traitorous bitch!" she had screamed. Taking a kunai, she slashed across the leaf symbol, making Hinata cry out. Then the cougar had removed her mask to reveal... Tsunade.

Smiling wickedly, Tsunade pointed behind Hinata. Turning around, she gasped when she saw her cousin Neji, standing over Kisame, scorpion mask in hand. His ANBU sword had run the shark nin through the chest, and Kisame lay there bleeding and breathing heavily. He was looking at her, a regretful smile on his face. Hinata's eyes followed the trail of the expanding blood and saw that it merged with the pool she was sitting in. Jumping up with a horrified cry, Hinata had woke herself up.

She was truly glad to be awake. The nightmare had felt so real. She could still feel the sting from Tsunade's slap and smell the blood. Body catching up with her mind, she realized that she had broke out in a cold sweat and it made her start to shiver. Goosebumps had spread across her exposed skin. It had gotten foggy while she was asleep and the temperature had dropped considerably. Kisame watched as Hinata retrieved her jacket from her bag and drew it on. She wrapped her arms around herself, waiting on her jacket to warm her up.

"Are you cold?" Kisame asked.

"A l-little." she said.

"Come here." he commanded.

A bit puzzled, Hinata stood and walked the few feet between them to stand at his side. Kisame crossed his legs in front of him and unclasped his cloak. Reaching up, he grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her down into his lap. Hinata gasped at the sudden movement and blushed at their close proximity. Kisame wrapped an arm around her torso and pulled her backward until she was leaning against his chest. He grabbed the sides of his cloak and wrapped them around her.

Unsure of what she should do, she sat silently. She doubted he would try to hurt her, but she couldn't stop the instinctive fear that invaded her body. And she was still shaken up from her nightmare. Her muscles were tense and her heart was racing. Hinata could feel the heat from Kisame's chest radiating into her back. His muscular arms were wrapped around her, gently holding her against him. Their combined body heat soon warmed her, and she could feel the chill recede from her body.

"Warmer now?" Kisame asked quietly.

"Yeah." she replied, blush intensifying.

Unable to stop himself, Kisame buried his face in her silky hair. Inhaling deeply, he let her unique scent fill his head. She smelled so good, he just couldn't get enough. But she was still slightly afraid of him. Her body was rigid and her breathing fast. He nuzzled the back of her neck, and whispered in her ear. "Relax and try to get some sleep."

Sleep? Hinata honestly didn't think she would be able to. But after she sat there awhile in the silence of deep night, the steady rhythm of his breathing and the heat from his body began to relax her tense muscles. Leaning into him, she rested her head on his broad chest. He was so warm. And she _was_ feeling tired again. Eyes half open, Hinata watched the fog swirl around the camp, slowly getting thicker.

She was only half awake when she felt him lean forward and gently place a kiss on her neck, just below her ear. Warmth spread slowly through her body, relaxing her further. He kissed her again, further down on her neck. With each kiss, her body felt warmer and heavier. She released a contented sigh. The last thing she knew was his mouth on the base of her neck before she slid into a dreamless sleep.

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Kisho awoke the next morning to the sound of the river flowing and a chill in the air. A light fog was burning away under the morning sun. His shoulder was slightly stiff and his red hair was damp with moisture and hung limply in his face. Sitting up he swept it back. He turned around to a surprising sight.

Hoshigaki Kisame was sitting where he was the night before. His eyes were closed, but Kisho could tell by the posture of his body and the look on his face that he was awake. In his arms lay Hinata, head tilted back, asleep. The infamous black cloak of the Akatsuki was wrapped around both of them. As Kisho stood, Kisame's eyes slid open. He gave Kisho a hostile look and closed his eyes again.

"Yeah, hostage my ass." Kisho said sarcastically.

At the sound of his voice, Hinata woke up. She blinked her sleepy eyes a few times to adjust to the daylight. She was so warm and comfortable, she didn't want to move. She started to sit up, but found she couldn't move. As she gained her bearings, she realized that she was still sitting in Kisame's lap, with his arms wrapped around her. Last night's events came back to her. She remembered her nightmare and waking up. The last clear thing she could recall was watching the swirling fog and Kisame kissing her.

"Good morning." an amused voice whispered in her ear, making her jump. Hinata blushed madly and attempted to sit up again. This time she was released, and Hinata stood quickly. Kisame chuckled and stood as well, dwarfing Hinata with his height. He refastened his cloak and picked up Samehada. He smirked at Kisho who, as expected, returned a withering glare.

"Let's get going soon. I want to make good time today." Kisame said. After a quick breakfast, the group set off again, one sullen, one still flushed and one very content with his nose buried in the interior of his cloak.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next couple of days passed fairly quietly. Kisho had tried to escape and return to Iwa twice. Both times he limped back to Hinata with a bloody nose and nursing a bruised jaw. Kisame walked behind him, a satisfied smirk plastered on his face. Other than that, nothing much happened. They hadn't seen any other ninja, and easily avoided the civilians they ran into.

At the end of the third day of traveling, Kisame decided to risk spending the night at a nearby village. They were all nearly out of supplies, and even though he wouldn't admit it, he needed at least a few hours of sleep. He had been staying up every night to make sure Kisho and Hinata didn't take off in the middle of the night. He wasn't really that worried about Hinata, but left unguarded, Kisho would be gone in a heartbeat.

The village was small, with only a few necessary shops and one inn. They made their way to the inn immediately, trying to attract as little attention as possible. As they walked down the street, Hinata looked around. Her eyes widened in recognition. She knew this place! It was a village she had been to many times on C and D ranked missions to aid the local farmers and villagers. And it was very close to the Land of Fire. In fact, the border was just a few miles south.

Hinata's heart started pounding. She was so close to home! All she had to do was take off when Kisame wasn't looking and head across the border. Then this unexpected little twist in her life would be at an end. She thought about what everyone would say when she returned. Her teammates would be thrilled to see her. Tsunade would probably be happy that she was back, but not very pleased that she didn't complete her mission.

Hinata frowned. Her family was another matter altogether. She knew exactly what her father would do. He would look at her sternly, disapproval in his eyes. Then he would make some demeaning comment about her not being strong enough to complete her mission and how she was a burden to everyone. Hanabi would just ignore her, too caught up in gaining favor with their father to care. Neji, she probably wouldn't even see. He was usually busy with either his ANBU position or spending time with Tenten.

Still, she was a ninja from the Hidden Leaf. She was duty bound to return and report to Tsunade as soon as she could. Not going when she had the chance would be considered an act of treason against Konoha, and if anyone found out, she would be punished. In the end she had no choice, she had to go back. She would wait until late in the night, then sneak out of the inn and go home. Hinata decided this was the best plan of action, but even as she settled on it, an unexpected wave of sadness swept over her.

The innkeeper greeted them politely and showed them to their room. It was the largest one in the inn. It was clean and roomy, with it's own bathroom off to the right. However, it still only had two double beds. Which meant if no one slept on the floor, someone would be sharing a bed. Hinata had a feeling she already knew how the sleeping arrangements would go.

Hinata wouldn't have minded so much, if Kisho weren't there too. It made her blush to think of him knowing she was going to share a bed with Kisame. Even if they didn't do anything but sleep. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. She had never had to share a bed with a man before. When she traveled with her teammates, she had always shared a room with Kurenai. She figured that it probably had more to do with her father's demands for propriety than actual safety. She had always slept close to her teammates when they had to camp outside. She never did understand why it was so different when they stayed at an inn.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by Kisame suggesting they go get something to eat and pick up a few supplies before the shops started to close for the day. Kisho agreed, for once, and Hinata nodded. They shared a silent meal at a local restaurant, then picked up enough supplies to last another week. Hinata knew they couldn't be much further than a couple days' journey from the Akatsuki base. After all, she and Kisame had reached the Land of Earth at nearly the same time, and Hinata knew she was now only about a day's travel out of Konoha. But Kisame never told them exactly how long it would take to reach the base.

Returning to the inn, Kisame stashed their supplies in a corner. He then had Samehada drain Kisho's chakra as an added guarantee of compliance from the sulking redhead. Mumbling more than a few harsh words that made Hinata blush, he stomped into the bathroom to shower. When he emerged twenty minutes later, he was still in a sour mood. Red and black hair still dripping, he flopped on the bed closest to the window and turned his back to them.

Kisame sat on the end of the remaining bed and pulled Samehada across his lap. Unwrapping the sentient blade, he examined it for any parts that needed cleaned or repaired. Hinata watched him work from an armchair by the door. Satisfied that everything was in good order, Kisame meticulously rewrapped the big blade. Setting the sword in a corner, he then grabbed a change of clothes and headed toward the bathroom to shower. He was just turning the corner around the door when he poked his head back out and looked at Hinata.

"Care to join me, Hummingbird?" he asked with a wicked grin.

Hinata's face turned crimson. Embarrassed, she started pushing her fingers together in front of her chest. "Umm..I...don't t-think..." she trailed off and stared at her feet. Kisame laughed.

"I was only joking. I'll be right back." he said with a grin. He disappeared around the corner of the door, but not before Hinata caught the slightly disappointed look that crossed his face before his features were hidden behind the wood frame.

Hinata's thoughts drifted as she listened to the running water, and before she knew it, he was back, clad in his mesh shirt and black pants. Relaxed from his shower, Kisame walked languidly over to the bed, and stretched out on it. Hinata watched him from her chair, her lavender eyes taking in the way his muscles flexed and rippled under his blue gray skin. Everything about him screamed danger. From his predatory stare to his fluid movements and hard, muscular body. Their fight with the ANBU had proven his reputation as a merciless killer, yet he had never once tried to hurt her.

Hinata grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom, pondering what she knew of the man who was technically her captor. As she showered, she thought about how different he was with her than with everyone else. He seemed so rough and bloodthirsty with everyone he met. With her, he had always been gentle. His kisses, while intense, had been tender. And he had soothed her when she had awoke from her nightmare. He had even defended her when Kisho had insulted her. It was almost like he was in love with her. Was he attracted to her? It certainly seemed that way. And how did she feel about him?

Confused emotions threatened to cloud her head as she emerged from the bathroom. Hinata pushed them aside. Regardless of how she felt, she had to leave. She looked over at Kisho. He was snoring softly. Glancing at Kisame, she noted that he had rolled over and was asleep as well. As silently as she could, she crossed the room to her pack. Now was her chance. She might never get another one. Slipping on her sandals, she shouldered her pack and crossed over to the door. Quietly, she slid the door open and slipped out. The door closed with a soft click behind her. On the bed closest to the door, Kisame slid his eyes open.

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Itachi ran silently through the night, his Sharingan activated to help him see in the low light. His head was pounding, keeping him from sleep. So he had decided to keep traveling. The sooner he got back to Hidden Rain, the faster he could deliver his information to Pein and get some rest.

He was glad to be away from Konoha at last. After a week of sneaking around, gathering information on the Kyuubi container, Uzumaki Naruto, he was ready to leave. The places he had to stay in had assaulted him with long forgotten and unwanted memories. Missions with his comrades, time with his family, and especially memories of time spent with Sasuke, threatened to crack the cold exterior he had spent years developing. Only his partner, Kisame, knew the true depth of his feelings and the pain he suffered. Everyone else saw only the cold-hearted killer. That was exactly the way he wanted it.

The border of Fire Country loomed ahead. The closer he came to it, the more relieved Itachi felt. He started to increase speed, until he saw a chakra signature in the distance. Masking his own presence, he leapt into a nearby tree to see who was coming. When the person approached, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was a kunoichi. She had long, black hair. She was well built and had fair skin with pale lavender eyes. The chakra that emanated from her came from a bloodline limit he was all too familiar with. The Byakugan, legacy of the Hyuuga clan.

That could only be Hinata. She was the only Hyuuga away from Konoha at the moment. How did she ever escape from Kisame? Surely she hadn't defeated him. He was much too strong. She must have slipped away. Reminding himself to scold his partner later for his negligence, Itachi prepared to recapture the runaway ninja.

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She was almost there. With her Byakugan activated, Hinata could easily see the markers that made up the border of the Land of Fire. She hadn't heard anyone give chase, so she assumed that she was safe for now. Stopping to catch her breath, Hinata leaned against a nearby tree and deactivated her bloodline limit. After about five minutes of rest, she stood up straight and went to continue onward. And suddenly found that she couldn't.

An image of Kisame kissing her rose unbidden to her mind. She could still feel his arms around her and taste his lips on hers. He had been so gentle, despite his harsh nature. He had made her feel things no one else had. He had even acted like what she thought mattered to him. And now she was leaving and he would be hurt. She knew it instinctively. He hadn't said anything about liking her, but his actions had left her believing it.

But what about her family? Hinata knew they wouldn't care if she never came back. Her own father had even told her that it would be best if she died on a mission. And her teammates? They were the only reason she had wanted to go back in the first place. Everyone else in the village was nice to her. But then again, they had to be, she was a Hyuuga. Only Kiba and Shino actually showed her any true affection. Even if it was just friendly companionship.

Hinata stared blankly at the border markers, not really seeing them. Then, before she knew what she was doing, she had turned around and was slowly walking back the way she came. She wasn't thinking of much, except that Kisame had been the only person in her life to show a real interest in her, and he had only known her a week. If Kiba and Shino were truly her friends, then they would forgive her for not coming back. Kiba had Akamaru. Shino had his family, though serious and proper, they still loved one another. Now she had someone too. And she knew that she couldn't bring herself to hurt him.

Itachi couldn't have been more surprised if he had been slapped. The girl had stopped several feet from where he planned to confront her to lean against a tree. Catching her breath, she appeared to be deep in thought. He tensed, thinking that she had discovered him. Then without warning, she had turned and started walking back the way she came, as if she'd intended to do so all along. Intrigued, he silently followed her to see what she would do next.

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Hinata was exhausted, both mentally and physically, by the time she reached the inn. Praying her disappearance hadn't been noticed, she walked to their room and silently slipped back inside. Kisho and Kisame were still in their beds. She snuck over to the far wall and set down her pack and slipped her sandals off. Creeping over to Kisame's bed, she slowly eased herself in beside him. Almost automatically, he rolled toward her, and pulled her into his chest.

Hinata was shocked. He had been awake all along. He knew when she had left and when she had returned. He had let her go without a word or attempt to stop her. And when she came back, he didn't yell at her or threaten her if she tried it again. He simply pulled her into an embrace and held her to him. Hinata felt ashamed. He had trusted her, and she had nearly betrayed him. A single tear rolled down Hinata's face before she snuggled into him and closed her eyes as exhaustion forced her into slumber.

Kisame buried his face in her hair, breathing her in. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. She had come back. He didn't really understand why, but he wasn't about to question it. Letting her walk away had been one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. A couple of times he had started to get up and go after her. He'd barely been able to force himself to stay in that damned room. If she truly wanted to go home, he wasn't going to stop her. He had been fully prepared to face Pein's wrath when he returned without her. If he knew Hinata was happy, he would gladly face any punishment dealt to him.

When had she become so important to him? He really didn't know. She just had. Even though they had been enemies, she had never scorned him. She wasn't bothered by the way he looked, either. He had never met anyone that seemed so willing to judge him for the man he was, not the monster he appeared to be. Stroking her back as she slept, he closed his eyes and let unconsciousness sweep over him.

The next morning, everyone was up and preparing to leave. Kisho was still grumpy. Hinata seemed anxious. Kisame was content. He had slept better last night than he ever had in his whole life. A sudden knock on the door made them all freeze. Kisame grabbed Samehada from its place against the wall and went to stand next to Kisho. Nodding to Hinata, he indicated for her to answer the door. She walked across the room and tentatively grabbed the knob. Pulling it open a crack, she gaped and stepped back. Into the room walked the solemn and cold Uchiha Itachi.

"Itachi-san." Kisame said, nodding. He stepped forward to greet his partner.

"Kisame." Itachi returned the greeting.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on a mission." Kisame asked.

"My mission is complete and I was on my way back when I discovered you were here. You seem to need a hand keeping your little group in one place." he said with a pointed look at Hinata. Kisho glanced at her, confused.

Hinata blushed. Itachi had seen her? She had no idea anyone else was around. He definitely lived up to his reputation as an S-class ninja. She hoped he would not get Kisame into trouble for her running off last night.

Kisame smirked. "Nah, we're good. But since your here, you might as well join us. I'd hate to leave you behind to be caught by some genin with visions of glory." Itachi gave him a perturbed look but said nothing.

The group gathered their things and headed out of the inn. The sun was just beginning to gain altitude in the sky, warming the air considerably. Once they reached the outskirts of the town, the four ninja took off at a run. Itachi was in the lead, followed by Hinata and Kisho. Kisame brought up the rear. Watching Hinata's long hair swirl around her body as she moved, he couldn't help but grin. At least he would have a decent view as they traveled today.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I am not responsible for any nosebleeds resulting from reading the lemon contained hereafter. For those of you who aren't into that sort of thing, feel free to skip this chapter. You won't miss any of the plot. You have officially been warned! For the rest of you, enjoy!

Chapter 11

The sun beat down mercilessly. And the closer they came to their destination, the more humid it became, until Itachi halted around midday so everyone could rest. Stopping in a secluded meadow, he sat on a grassy hill, unclasping his cloak just enough to let the sweat on his skin begin to evaporate. Without complaint, Kisho plopped down a few feet away. Kisame sat next to Itachi, and Hinata sat quietly next to him.

"We won't make it there tonight." Itachi said quietly. "The heat is slowing us down too much."

"Yeah." Kisame agreed. He glanced over at Hinata. He could tell she was tired. Her breathing was normal, but she sat slightly slumped over and she had beads of sweat on her forehead. Reaching over, he wiped the moisture away. Hinata gave him a shy smile. Itachi noticed the interaction, but made no comment.

After about an hour, the group continued on their way, but at a slower pace. As they traveled, gray clouds gathered overhead. By late afternoon, a light drizzle had started. The rain was a welcome relief after the sweltering heat. The weather seemed content to stay that way too. The rain never wavered, but continued its assault for the rest of the day.

That evening, they reached another village. Soaking wet, they headed toward an inn in the middle of town. As they entered, the innkeeper stood behind his desk and bowed to them.

"Uchiha-sama, Hoshigaki-sama, welcome back." he said with a polite smile. He looked Hinata and Kisho over before turning back to Itachi. "How many rooms will you be needing tonight?"

"Just two." Itachi replied. The innkeeper turned the keys over and Itachi then led the way upstairs to their rooms.

_'That was strange'_ Hinata thought. The innkeeper knew their names, but didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable. Usually, those who knew of the Akatsuki would be at least a little intimidated by them, if not outright afraid. But this man acted like he saw them all the time, and his face didn't hold an ounce of fear or nervousness. They must be very close to the main base for an event like that to occur.

Stopping in front of the correct doors, Itachi handed Kisame his key, then turned to Kisho. "Let's go." he commanded. Kisho glared at him and didn't move. His look was returned with a cold stare. Without warning, Itachi punched him in the gut, hard. Kisho doubled over in pain. Falling on one knee, he began coughing.

"Leader-sama doesn't tolerate insolence." Itachi said impassively. "You would be wise to learn that now."

Kisho rose to his feet. Without a word he walked into the room with Itachi, leaving Hinata alone in the hallway with Kisame. He unlocked the door to their room and opened it. Stepping inside, his gaze automatically swept the interior. The room was exactly the way he left it last. Thick cream carpet on the floor, a wrought iron four poster bed with midnight blue silk bedding and a matching black dresser and armchair made up the décor.

Itachi had paid the innkeeper well to keep their rooms exactly the way they wanted them. He had a habit of staying here on the way to and from missions. Sometimes they were here more than they were at their rooms at the base. Kisame really didn't care. He knew why Itachi did it. His headaches were so bad anymore that he needed complete silence to even get any rest. At the base there was usually a racket of one sort or another to be heard, whether it was one of Deidara's explosions, Tobi's off-key singing or Hidan's loud cursing echoing down the hallway. Kisame didn't blame him for seeking out solitude.

Hinata followed Kisame inside the room. It was nice, tastefully decorated with a large window. She wandered over to it to watch the rain pour down outside. She heard Kisame moving around the room behind her, but her focus was on the rivulets of water streaming down the panes of glass before her. There was a nice view of the village, and in the dark, the lights from the various buildings twinkled and winked in the rain. Suddenly, she felt Kisame's strong arms wrap around her, and his warm breath feathered across her ear.

"If you don't get out of those wet clothes soon, you'll be ill." he said quietly.

Hinata nodded and started to pull away, but Kisame tightened his grip on her, preventing escape. Her heartbeat quickened as he trailed a hand up her arm and across her collarbone to the zipper of her jacket. He slowly lowered it, trailing kisses down her neck as he did so. Sliding his hands into the gap at her shoulders, he pulled her jacket off of her, letting his fingers glide down her arms as he went. He grabbed her ear in his teeth and nipped her gently, then swirled his tongue around her lobe to soothe the sting of his bite. Goosebumps rose on Hinata's now bare arms, and she felt a blush start to creep up her neck.

Kisame released her then, and taking her jacket, he walked over to their packs and lay it on top of hers to dry out. He smirked to himself. He had smelled the hint of desire in her scent. She was shy, but he could tell that she wanted him. She might not even realize it, being a virgin, but he knew that it wouldn't take a lot of persuasion to make her his. Hearing a door close, he turned to discover that she had already fled to the bathroom.

Trembling slightly, and still blushing, Hinata stood in the middle of the bathroom. What was wrong with her? Whenever Kisame touched her the way he just did, her body grew achy and she became lightheaded. Was that normal? When she was around Naruto, she had butterflies in her stomach and she blushed more than usual. But this felt completely different. Figuring that a hot shower would help calm her, Hinata stripped her wet clothes off and stepped into the stall. The water felt great. Hinata took her time, washing away the day's sweat and grime.

Stepping out, she grabbed a towel and dried herself off. Oh no. Hinata realized that in her hurry to get to the bathroom, she forgot to grab her clothes. What could she do now? There was no way she was brazen enough to go into the bedroom to get them, even wrapped in a towel. Suddenly she spied the bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. Saved. With a sigh of relief, she grabbed the oversized garment and wrapped it around herself.

The room was dark, save for a small lamp that was sitting on the dresser, casting soft amber shadows. Kisame was already in the bed, sitting up with his back against the headboard. His massive chest was bare, and his dark blue hair, released from his forehead protector, framed his angular face. Hinata made her way over to her pack, intent on grabbing her clothes and heading back to the bathroom to change. She was stopped by the sound of Kisame's voice.

"Hummingbird?"

"Yeah?" she replied softly.

"Come here." he commanded.

Hinata complied, walking over to stand at the side of the bed. Reaching out, Kisame grabbed her hand and gently pulled her into the bed beside him. She blushed, but made no move to get away. He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her into him, resting his chin on top of her head. He inhaled her woodsy scent, mixed with the water and soap from her shower.

"I have to ask you something." he said.

"W-what is it?" she asked.

"Why did you come back?"

Hinata hesitated. There was only one answer to that question. Only one reason she turned around, abandoning her friends, village and family. But was she brave enough to tell him? Taking a deep breath, she answered him. "I c-came back f-for you."

"Thank you." he said, kissing the top of her damp head. Hinata turned her face into his chest, snuggling closer and wrapping an arm around his torso. He let her hold him like that for a few minutes, savoring the feel of her next to him. Then taking his free hand, he tilted her face up toward his and kissed her gently on the lips. Hinata closed her eyes and kissed him back. She felt his thumb feather along her jawline before trailing his fingers down her neck. He cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

Hinata opened her mouth and grabbed his lower lip between her teeth, gently tugging. Kisame let a low growl rise from his chest. He felt his body harden at her eagerness. He ran his tongue along her top lip. Relaxing her grip on him, Hinata let him invade her mouth and stroke her tongue with his. Releasing the back of her head, Kisame ran his hand across her shoulder and down her arm that was still wrapped around his middle. He traced light circles on the back of her hand before entwining her fingers in his.

Leaning into her, he gently pressed her back into the mattress, bringing her hand up to rest beside her head. He released her mouth to slowly kiss his way down her neck. She tasted just as good as she smelled. This close, her scent was intoxicating, leaving him feeling drugged and craving more. His primal instinct rose, demanding he have her. When he reached the tendon at the top of her shoulder, he bit her gently, sucking on her skin, marking her as his. Hinata gasped at the sharp sensation.

Releasing her hand, Kisame sat up and moved to straddle her hips, pinning her beneath him. She gazed up at him, unafraid. Placing a hand on either side of her head, he leaned down to kiss her. He kissed her lips, her chin, and made his way down the column of her throat. He began kissing down her chest, until he hit the barrier of her bathrobe. Sitting back up, he brought a hand over and began lightly stroking just under the neckline of the robe. He carefully watched Hinata's face for signs of resistance as he let his fingers stray further down, toward the tie holding the offending garment on her body.

Hinata watched the desire play across Kisame's face as he touched her. It was obvious that he wanted her. But should she let him? Her common sense told her to stop him. Her achy body raged at her to give in to him. Her mind warred with her body until, at last, the louder voice won out. She wanted to. But what if she did something wrong? She had very little knowledge and no experience when it came to sex. Uncertain, she grabbed the hand that was currently tormenting her body and looked at him.

"K-kisame-san?"

"Yeah?" His voice sounded tight. He held his breath, waiting for her rejection.

"Umm...I've n-never..." Color spread across her cheeks as she blushed. "I d-don't know...w-what to do." she said as she averted her gaze.

Kisame brought his hand up and cupped her cheek. Turning her face back to him, he kissed her gently. Ghosting his lips around to her ear, he whispered against the skin of her neck. "I know. Just relax. All I want you to do is feel." Hinata turned her head toward his and let her lavender eyes roam his face. Making up her mind, she nodded. Kisame captured her lips once more, kissing her passionately.

Just feel. That sounded easy enough. But Hinata wasn't sure how much more she could feel. Her body already felt heavy. Her skin was sensitive, and every time he touched her, a wave of heat spread through her body.

Kisame pushed himself backwards, crawling down her body until he could nudge a knee between her thighs. She allowed him that, but when his other knee joined the first, forcing her to spread her legs to accommodate him, her body tensed. Her legs instinctively clamped around his hips. Sitting up, he reached down and began rubbing her calves. His rough hands made their way up to the backs of her knees as he felt her start to relax again. Trailing his calloused fingers across the sensitive flesh there, he heard Hinata giggle. He smirked. She was ticklish.

Filing that fact away for later exploitation, he began massaging her bare thighs. Slowly, her legs began to lower as her body began to feel the effects of his efforts. He watched her face as he worked, enjoying the way her pale eyes began to glaze over and her lids to droop slightly as her desire began to take over again. When the tension had drained from her completely, Kisame released her legs and leaned forward to kiss her.

Using one hand to support his weight, he found the tie of her robe with the other. Pulling it free, he ran his hand down the gap in the material, widening it and exposing her body to his fascinated gaze. She was beautiful. Her breasts were large for her frame. Her waist was small and her stomach flat. Her hips curved nicely into her toned legs. The dim light playing across her body gave it an ethereal glow. Her skin looked infinitely soft. Curious to see if it felt the same way, Kisame ran his palm across her stomach, curling his fingers around her side, just under her ribcage. He stroked her with his thumb, the tip barely grazing the underside of her breast.

Hinata sucked in her breath at the feel of the cool air hitting her heated skin contrasting with Kisame's warm touch. She felt her nipples grow taunt. This attracted his attention, and he leaned down to capture her breast in his mouth. He barely grazed her skin with his sharp teeth while swirling his tongue around the peak. At the same time, the hand on her stomach wandered lower to the curve of her hip. He slowly began massaging her hipbone as he continued to tease her erect nipple.

Hinata couldn't stop the moan that escaped at his combined assault. Her stomach tightened as a fresh wave of desire swept over her. She felt moisture gather between her legs. Instinctively, she arched up into him. He groaned as her body made contact with his manhood. Lust rose sharply. He bit down on her breast, making her gasp. He shifted his weight until she was nearly pinned beneath him and slid his hand from her hip around to cup her bottom, drawing her closer to him.

Switching breasts, he let the air sooth his stinging bite. He ground into her, letting her feel his hard desire through the material of his pants. Hinata buried a hand in his hair, and wrapped the other around his neck. Her heart was racing now and her breath was becoming rapid. Every time he made contact with her body, waves of fire spread through her, making her blood sing. Her body started moving of its own accord, pressing up into him. Her head was getting hazy, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take before she exploded.

"K-kisame, I c-can't...I want..." she trailed off, not sure how to tell him that her body needed some relief.

Understanding, Kisame sat up and quickly removed his pants. Leaning forward again, he ran his hand down her stomach, followed closely by his mouth. When he reached her mound, he gently stroked her soft black curls before running a finger down her swollen cleft. Her body responded, growing wetter under his touch. Kisame's tongue wandered along her lower stomach while he slowly stroked her. Hinata bit her lip to keep from crying out. The pleasure was nearly unbearable. He let her juices coat his finger, then entered her body and lightly bit down on her hipbone.

Hinata moaned loudly. She just knew she would die at any moment. As soon as he had pushed his way into her, her desire hit a brand new level. Then he started stroking her inner walls. She started panting, unable to take in enough air to keep up with the waves of feeling coursing through her. Her legs drew up and her hips started to grind against him. He added another finger, pushing deeper. Ecstasy swept over her. Kisame knew she was close to the edge. Increasing speed, he stroked her until she was bucking beneath him. Hinata screamed as she came. Her mind fragmented until all she knew was pure bliss.

Removing his fingers, Kisame slowly kissed his way back up her trembling body as she came back down to reality. When he reached her mouth, he kissed her deeply. Drawing back he looked her in the eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked softly. Hinata nodded. "It's going to hurt at first, but only once. I promise." he warned her.

Hinata held her breath and bit down on her lip as Kisame slowly entered her. When he reached her barrier, he thrust hard, pushing past it and burying himself deep. He kissed her, muffling her cry of pain. Tears leaked out of the corners of her closed eyes. Kisame held still, waiting for her pain to pass and her body to adjust to his presence inside her.

Not moving was killing him. She was so tightly wrapped around him. His body screamed at him to take her again and again until he was completely spent. But he didn't want to hurt her by moving before she was ready. So he waited. After what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes. Pulling back slowly, he pushed into her again.

Hinata moaned softly. It had hurt like hell when he had first entered her. But now she just felt good. The friction from his slow movements soothed the ache in her body. She relished the feeling he created as he took up a slow and gentle rhythm. But soon she was craving more. She needed him to be closer, deeper. She circled her arms around his neck, drawing him down to her. Hinata nuzzled his muscular neck, kissing him hungrily. At the same time, her legs wrapped around his thighs. Her hips came up to meet his as he thrust into her.

Encouraged, Kisame picked up speed, burying himself into her as far as he could. The smell of their raw sex had his head in a haze of desire. Claiming her breast once again, he grinned against her skin when she cried out at his touch. He felt her walls tighten around him. He groaned as pleasure swept over him. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his body as he fought himself for control.

Deeper. Harder. More. Hinata met each one of his strokes with her willing body. Her muscles gripped him hard, creating more friction. Losing control, her consciousness melted until she was nothing more than the tide of ecstasy that consumed her. Spiraling high, she came, her hold on Kisame the only thing anchoring her to the world.

Unable to withstand the force of her orgasm, Kisame grabbed her hips and thrust into her hard. He bit down on her shoulder as he came, releasing his seed deep within her. Breathing heavily, he buried his face in her neck, waiting for the tremors of his orgasm to pass. Hinata lay there, chest heaving rapidly. Her eyes were still closed.

"Are you alright?" Kisame asked.

"Yeah." she answered in a shaky voice. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Completely spent, he rolled off of her to keep from crushing her with his weight. With the absence of his heat, Hinata's sweaty body began cooling rapidly. She shivered as goosebumps raised on her skin. Seeking his warmth, she rolled into Kisame's side and raising up, laid her head on his chest.

He wrapped an arm around her, and pulling the blankets up, covered them both. He stroked her bare back until she released a light sigh and closed her eyes. Exhausted and content, his own lids lowered. He inhaled deeply. Catching their mingles scents, a small smile played across his lips. She was his. As unconsciousness crept over him, the tang of her blood hit his hazy senses. He had been too rough. A frown made its way onto his face as sleep took him.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Hinata's mind fought for consciousness. She knew instinctively that she had only been asleep for a couple of hours and it was still night. The first sensations to slip through the fog of sleep was cool air on her naked body and a gentle swaying motion. The next thing to register was warmth and strong arms holding her. As she fought to wake up, more of her surroundings came to her. One was the steady rise and fall of the hard chest she was curled up against. Another was the pain in her own body. Her shoulder hurt like hell. Her muscles were beginning to feel stiff as well.

Her mind faded back into slumber. Until the gentle slosh of water came to her ears. Then she was surrounded by warmth. The swaying had stopped. Her eyelids fluttered as her mind tried to grasp the change in her surroundings. The faint scent of lilacs entered her head. She could hear the steady beating of a heart next to her ear. She felt fingers caressing her face and a few fragments from a deep quiet voice broke through to her consciousness.

"Just relax...hard travel tomorrow...will help soreness...sleep, Hummingbird." She was so tired. And comfortable. Cocooned in the warmth surrounding her, she heeded the voice. With a contented sigh, she let her mind fade to black and slept once more.

Hinata's brow furrowed as she once again heard the sound of disturbed water. Then the warmth was leaving her. It was replaced once again by cool air on her body. The swaying resumed. She felt her body descend until she felt something soft and silky beneath her. Her awareness had nearly fully returned when she felt strong arms wrap around her once more, drawing her back into solid warmth. She smiled in her sleep. _'Kisame'_ Then she knew nothing more.

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The sky was beginning to lighten behind the dark clouds when Hinata's eyes fluttered open. It was still raining. She could hear the heavy drops tapping out a rhythm on the roof of the inn. The smell of lilacs caught her attention. She vaguely recalled smelling them sometime during the night, but their source evaded her.

She started to sit up and found she couldn't. Kisame's arms were still around her and he had one leg thrown over her thighs, effectively pinning her to him. She turned her head as much as she could to look at his face. He was still asleep. With a massive effort, Hinata rolled in his embrace to face him. Not wanting to wake him just yet, she silently studied his face.

His dark blue hair was a tangled mass on the pillow. His eyelids were black, descending from the markings above his eyes. The nose between them was long and straight. His high cheekbones stood out sharply against the rest of his face, the gill like markings making them even more noticeable. His lips were parted slightly and she could see the sharp white teeth hiding between them. A funny thought came to mind. She hoped he never accidentally bit his tongue. It would surely hurt like hell if he did.

Imagining such a painful but comical scenario, Hinata couldn't stop the near silent chuckle that escaped her. Kisame's eyes immediately snapped open and he was looking at her. Caught staring, Hinata blushed, but didn't look away. He didn't say anything, just held her gaze and waited expectantly. The moment dragged on until Hinata started to become uncomfortable under his piercing eyes.

"Good m-morning." she said shyly.

"Good morning." he said quietly. Kisame inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He half expected Hinata to be upset this morning. He feared she would cry over her lost virtue and blame him for seducing her. He had worried that she would reject him. But she hadn't. She was watching him, almost like she was memorizing him and she seemed happy. She had been laughing about something.

"What was so damn funny, anyway?" he asked.

"Oh. Umm...I w-was just wondering if it h-hurt a lot when you accidentally b-bite your tongue." she said, turning red again. Kisame laughed. Of all the things to wonder about, that was certainly an unusual one.

"It does." he replied. His expression turned serious again as he gazed into Hinata's pale eyes. Pulling her closer into him, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Then he released her and sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist. "We need to get ready to go. Itachi's probably already waiting on us." he said, turning to look at her. Hinata had scooted up to lay her head on the pillow and was dragging the sheets back up to cover herself.

A feral gleam came to Kisame's eyes. Reaching over, he tugged the sheets out of Hinata's hands and let the silk glide down her body, until her torso was revealed to his gaze. Leaning down he planted a kiss on her stomach, just below her navel. A blush crept up Hinata's neck. Her heartbeat sped up as her body came to life under his touch. Heat spread through her stomach as he continued his assault. He was just starting to nibble on her hipbone when he was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. A low growl rose from his throat.

"Be right out!" he said loudly.

"Ten minutes." came Itachi's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Cursing under his breath, Kisame sat up and planted a chaste kiss on Hinata's forehead, then climbed out of bed to dress. Hinata wrapped the sheet around herself, then stepped out of bed and grabbed her clothes from her pack. Scurrying to the bathroom, she closed the door. That was when she smelled it again. Lilacs. It was stronger here in the bathroom. Glancing around, she spied a purple bottle of bath oil on the counter. Picking it up, she noted that it was half empty.

Her thoughts returned to the foggy events of last night. After she had fallen asleep she had smelled lilacs and heard water. Had Kisame given her a bath? She pulled a lock of hair up to her face. The scent was there, as well as on her skin. And she also noticed that she wasn't quite as sore as she expected to be. Her cheeks turned pink and a smile lit up her face.

Dressing quickly, she made her way out of the bathroom, only to discover the bedroom was already empty. She quickly packed her things and donned her bag. Glancing one last time at the bed, she turned and stepped out into the hallway where the others were waiting for her. She stood at Kisame's side, who was talking quietly with Itachi.

Hinata glanced over at Kisho. He looked terrible. His face was pale and he had bags under his eyes. He stood slouched against the wall, staring at the ground. He glanced up at her as she made her way over to him.

"Kisho, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he said flatly.

Realization dawned. Kisho had been at Itachi's tender mercies all night. As defiant as Kisho was, it probably didn't take long for an argument to arise between them. An argument that was no doubt settled quickly with the Sharingan.

"Itachi used a genjutsu on you, didn't he?" she asked quietly, so only Kisho could hear her. He didn't answer her, just continued inspecting the carpet beneath his feet. She was about to try and comfort him somehow, but was interrupted by Itachi's solemn voice. "Let's get going."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

They had finally made it. After running for most of the day, nonstop in the pouring rain, Itachi came to a halt in front of a narrow valley. At the bottom sat the Village Hidden in the Rain. It was smaller than Konoha, and looked a little desolate. Looking around, Hinata figured that they were somewhere between the lands of Lightning and Waves. As they started forward again, Hinata noticed a training ground off to the west. There was debris all over it and several trees lay broken on the ground. Eyes widening at the devastation, Hinata wondered who had made such a mess as she hurried to keep up with the others.

After nodding a greeting to the guards, the party made its way through the main street of the town. Kisho and Hinata walked together, taking in their new surroundings. It was quiet here, with few people out and about. The buildings were tall, and mostly made of brick. Each one had an overhang to keep people on the sidewalks dry. There was an advanced drainage system installed along the street to prevent flooding. When they had made their way completely across the village, Itachi and Kisame stopped at a very large unmarked building.

Forming hand seals simultaneously, Kisame and Itachi released the seal barring the way into the building. The door swung open slowly, granting them entry. Stepping in out of the rain, they entered a long hall. There were doors on each side, and a set of stairs directly in front of them. They climbed the stairs to the third floor. As they passed the second floor, Hinata glanced over and noticed a figure walking down the hallway. A flash of silver hair and black cloak was all she saw before the stairs interrupted her line of sight with another level of the building.

Another hallway later and they reached their destination. Pushing open the last door on the left, they entered a large study. Crimson carpet lay on the floor, accented by matching drapes on the large windows overlooking the village. The rest of the furniture was black. Bookshelves lined the walls and a small table piled with scrolls stood off to one side. At the back of the room was a small desk, and seated behind it was one of the most bizarre people Hinata had ever seen.

He reminded her of an evil version of Naruto. His spiky hair was a deep orange-red and he had piercings everywhere. His ears were lined with hoops. He had three bars through his nose and spikes through his lower lip, reminding Hinata of misplaced fangs. His eyes were close to the same color as his hair. He wore the Akatsuki cloak and his dark nailed hands were folded in front of him.

"Leader-sama." Itachi greeted, bowing along with Kisame.

"I've been expecting you." Pein replied, standing up.

He looked over Kisho and Hinata. Turning to Kisame, he asked, "Well, are they capable?"

"I have seen both of them in battle and they are both at least jounin rank." Kisame answered. Hinata smiled at his estimation of her skills.

"Very well. We will see what results some training will produce. For now you are both restricted to this building. Consider yourselves partners until I decide otherwise." He paused as a woman with short blue hair entered the room and walked up to the desk. She turned to face them and Hinata could see a paper flower tucked in her hair. She also had a piercing, a small ball below her bottom lip. "This is Konan." he resumed. "She will show you where your rooms are and the rest of the base as well. She is also in charge of your training schedules and evaluations. If she has a problem with either one of you, you will answer to me." he finished with a glare.

Konan started for the door, then looked over her shoulder at her new subordinates. "Let's go." she said sternly. "Itachi-san and Kisame-san have reports to make." Hinata blushed and glanced at Kisame, who nodded at her to go. She and Kisho followed Konan out the door and back down the hallway.

As they walked, she explained the layout of the building. "This floor is off limits unless Pein-sama has requested your presence. The second floor is where all the bedrooms are located. I'll show you yours in a minute. Let me warn you now that nearly everyone is protective of their rooms. Don't go in anyone else's room unless you are invited. If you are caught in someone's room without permission, they are allowed to deal with you as they please. Downstairs is where the common and training rooms are. You have the rest of the day to explore them as you wish. Training begins tomorrow. I will evaluate your skills and decide what training you require. All Akatsuki are at least S-class ninja, so you have some catching up to do."

They made their way down the hallway on the second floor. It was empty, the figure Hinata had seen earlier was nowhere in sight. Stopping in front of the last two doors on the left, she turned to them. "Kisho, you are here on the left, Hinata, the right. The bathroom is the door there in the middle." she said pointing to the lone door in the far wall of the corridor. "There is another downstairs as well. If you need anything, we have a small allowance for personal items, just let me know what it is, and I'll see if I can get it for you. If you don't have any questions, I need to be going now, I have a few things to take care of upstairs." With that, she started back down the hall, leaving the new partners to their own devices.

Kisho said nothing, just opened the door to his room and walked in, slamming it behind him. Hinata just shook her head sadly. If they were going to be partners in the future, she had a feeling it would be a rocky relationship from start to finish. Hinata opened the door to her room and stepped inside. Her new bedroom was nice, only slightly smaller than the one she had back in Konoha. The black and red theme continued here as well. Crimson carpet and drapes with matching black furniture. Her twin size bed had sheets to match the carpet and a thick black comforter. An empty bookcase sat against the wall along with a bare dresser.

Hinata set her pack on the dresser and sat on the edge of her bed. What should she do now? She didn't really want to go downstairs just yet. Not without Kisame. Taking off her sandals, she climbed up the bed and lay down, curling against the pillow. Doubt began to set in as the minutes passed. Had she made the right choice? What would happen if she ever had to face her teammates again? What if she wasn't good enough to meet Konan's training standards? Would they kill her because she knew so much about them now? What if Kisame suddenly lost interest in her and left her to fend for herself? The whole reason she came back was for him. No, she told herself. She trusted him. He had protected her so far, she shouldn't doubt him. She shut her eyes wearily against her uncertain emotions as a tear made its way down her cheek. Moments later, mental exhaustion set in and she fell asleep, clutching her pillow.

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Tsunade stood behind her desk, tapping her foot impatiently while she waited for the ANBU in front of her to catch his breath. He had made it back in record time, so she couldn't really complain, but her nerves were a wreck from not knowing what had happened to Hinata. She was long overdue, and she hadn't come back with the ANBU. If he didn't deliver his report soon, she had a feeling she would be replacing her office chair and the glass in her window yet again.

Finally, he was able to talk. "Hokage-sama, I'm afraid I was unable to locate Hyuuga Hinata. However, I came across two pieces of information at a village close to Iwagakure that might relate to her. A girl matching her description was seen in the village around a week ago. I was unsure if it was her, because the people I talked to claimed that she was accompanied by an unusual looking ninja with a large sword."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I see. And the second piece of information?"

"Evidently Iwagakure was invaded around the same time. One of their ninja is missing and six of their ANBU were killed trying to stop the attackers." he said.

"Thank you. You did an excellent job getting there and back so quickly. Dismissed." she said.

"One more thing, Hokage-sama. As I made my way back, I passed by a group of ninja on the border of Fire Country. One was confirmed to be their ambassador. I suspect they are headed here to speak with you about the incident." he replied before he bowed and walked out the door.

Tsunade dropped into her chair. She truly hated it when she was right.

"Shizune!" she yelled.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Loud knocking pulled Hinata from her restless sleep. Sitting up on the side of the bed, she ran a hand through her hair.

"C-come in." she said uncertainly.

The door swung open to reveal Kisame standing in the doorway, grinning. He stepped inside and closed the door. Hinata noticed that his cloak was absent along with his sword. He was still wearing his blue and white pants and had on a mesh shirt. She watched his muscles flex as he walked up to her, his height forcing her to crane her neck back to look into his face.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Y-yes." she replied. Her rumbling stomach agreed. "H-how long have I b-been asleep?"

"A couple of hours, I guess." he said before leaning forward and capturing Hinata's lips in a kiss. She eagerly returned his affection. Pulling back, he playfully trailed kisses along her jawline until he could whisper in her ear. "Let's go downstairs and get something to eat."

Hinata nodded and stood when Kisame released her. She really wanted to spend the rest of the evening in her room with Kisame, but according to her stomach, she might starve to death by morning. So she followed him as he turned and made his way into the hallway. As they descended the stairs, a loud noise from below made her jump and move a little closer to Kisame's reassuring presence. It sounded like a fight had broken out. Hurrying to see what was going on, they covered the rest of the distance to the first floor quickly. Locating the source of the noise, Kisame stopped in front of a door to the left and cautiously swung it open.

Hinata's eyes widened. In the middle of what appeared to be a common room stood Kisho and a blonde ninja with long hair. There was a thin trickle of blood running down the corner of the blonde's mouth. Kisho's fists were clenched tightly and both men were glaring at each other. A third man was lounging casually on a nearby couch, an amused grin on his face. He had silver hair and dark violet eyes. His cloak was unfastened and gaping open to reveal a smooth muscular chest. Hinata recognized him as the same man she saw in the hallway earlier.

As they stepped fully into the room, the silver haired man turned and looked at them, grin widening. "You're missing a fucking good fight, Kisame. Seems our new bitch has some history with Deidara."

"Really? Good to see you're making friends already, Kisho." Kisame said with a smirk.

Kisho turned and glared at Kisame. "I will NEVER be friends with that traitor!" he yelled. He started to go after the blonde again, but was stopped short by a cold voice in the doorway.

"Knock it off, Kisho, now." Itachi said, walking into the room. Hinata could have sworn the temperature dropped ten degrees with the addition of Itachi's icy presence. He narrowed his eyes at Kisho, who lowered his angry gaze to the floor.

"Aww, shit, Itachi. Things were just getting good and you ruined it." the silver haired man said with a frown. Itachi ignored him and continued focusing on Kisho's submissive form.

Kisho gave Deidara a 'this isn't over yet' look and turned to leave. Hinata could hear him stomping down the hallway and up the stairs. After a moment she heard the faint sound of a door slamming. Itachi disappeared soon after, without a word to anyone. The blonde plopped into a nearby chair, wiping the blood off his face. He gave Hinata a warm smile. She stood there uncertainly, looking at her newest companions.

"You must be Hinata. I'm Deidara, yeah." he said.

"And that's Hidan." Kisame said, indicating the silver haired ninja on the couch.

"'Sup, bitch?" Hidan greeted. Kisame glared at him and Hinata blushed. He certainly liked to swear a lot.

"H-hello." she said quietly.

"You're certainly seem nicer than that redheaded prick, yeah." Deidara said with a frown.

"D-do you really k-know Kisho-kun, D-deidara-san?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Not really, yeah. I only know of him. He's a couple of years younger than me, so we didn't really see each other. He's supposed to be some kind of genius, yeah." Deidara answered.

"Then why did he hit you?" Kisame asked.

"It's a Stone Village thing, yeah. They're really touchy when it comes to things like loyalty to the village. Even though I was recruited to Akatsuki just like he was, Kisho-kun still considers me a traitor, yeah. Just like all the rest of the Stone Village."

More interested in their new kunoichi than the present conversation, Hidan stood and walked over to Hinata. He looked her up and down. She stepped back from his intimidating gaze. There was something about him that made her want to never be alone with him. His face looked friendly enough, but there was something sadistic about his smile, and it put her on edge. She started to fidget with her fingers. Noticing her nervousness, Kisame moved closer to her, forcing Hidan to back up. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Kisame.

"She looks pretty damn weak to me. Are you sure she's a fucking ninja? Or did you finally drag home a girlfriend?" he asked.

Kisame stepped forward, using his large mass to back Hidan up further. Hinata could see an angry glint in his eyes, and he was emanating a deadly aura. Deidara noticed it too, because he sat silently, eyes wide, waiting to see what would happen.

"She took out an Iwa ANBU by herself, and three more with very little help, all in the same fight." Kisame said harshly. "So shut the hell up." Without waiting for a reply, he angrily turned and left the common room, Hinata trailing behind him. She gave Hidan a half apologetic, half proud smile as she walked out the door. Behind her, she heard Deidara whistle lowly.

"Damn, never seen him that possessive before, yeah." he said to Hidan.

"Have fucking fun making shark babies!" Hidan called after them with a laugh. Kisame ignored the barb and kept walking.

Hinata nearly froze at Hidan's words. ...babies? Oh no. Last night...what if she accidentally got pregnant? Her heart sank to her stomach. She had always wanted to have children eventually, but definitely not right now. She would have to retire from ninja life for an extended period of time to care for a family. And with her current situation in Akatsuki, her only usefulness was as a ninja. There was a very real possibility that she might be killed if Leader decided she wasn't useful anymore. Besides all that, she had no clue how Kisame even felt about that sort of thing.

Lost in her worries, Hinata nearly bumped into Kisame when he stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. Looking up, she saw that they weren't alone yet again. Two more ninja sat at the large table in the kitchen. They both had their faces covered, one with a swirling orange mask that covered everything except one eye, the other wore a cloth covering his mouth and a hood. The one with the orange mask jumped up to greet them when they came in.

"Kisame-sempai! And you must be Hinata-chan! Tobi is happy to see you." he said, giving a shocked Hinata an exuberant hug. The ninja still seated at the table shook his head. His glowing green eyes appraised Hinata carefully. The way he was staring made her start to feel like a horse being sold on the auction block. Her cheeks reddened until he looked thoughtfully away.

"Hmm, we could get quite a bit out of her. With her unusual eyes and her long hair, she could make us a small fortune. I know these people..." he trailed off, talking to no one in particular.

"Enough, Kakuzu." Kisame interrupted him with a frown. "Hinata's a ninja here under Leader-sama's orders, not a hostage or a slave to be sold to the highest bidder." Kakuzu just regarded him coolly and remained silent.

"No! We have to keep Hinata-chan. She's cute!" Tobi protested loudly.

Hinata, unused to anyone being so forward, turned a deep shade of red. Kisame chuckled, his anger receding. Tobi really knew how to diffuse a situation. One more insult to Hinata and someone's face would have been introduced to his fist. Hidan was damn lucky he didn't have a lip to match Deidara's. Chalking his irritability up to fatigue and hunger, he started rummaging in the cabinets for something decent to eat.

Hinata ate her dinner in silence, absently listening to Tobi chatter on about his partner, Deidara, and the rest of Akatsuki. He schooled her on all the fun things there was to do at the base and in the Rain Village. He even gave her directions to the training grounds on the edge of the valley. He talked so much that Hinata was sure that if he were ever held for information, the organization would be doomed. He almost reminded her of Naruto, with his naïve demeanor.

A wave of homesickness swept over her as she thought of her longtime friend and former crush. At one time she lived only for his recognition. She had loved him and worked hard every day to improve herself for him. But as the years passed she slowly realized that he would never return her feelings. He was in love with Sakura, and that seemed to never change as the years passed. And then last year, she found out that they had finally started dating. Hinata was devastated, but at the same time glad her friends were finding happiness. So she steeled her wounded heart and contented herself with being his friend and improving her skills as a shinobi for the sake of her uncaring family.

She had never even thought about any other men after that, despite Sakura and Ino's insistence that it was unhealthy to be alone. She just didn't think she could stand to be rejected a second time. That is until she unexpectedly dropped into Kisame's life. It seemed that almost overnight, things had changed. He treated her in a way that no one else had. He didn't coddle her or fawn over her, but at the same time he cared about her and protected her. And the things he made her feel last night made her blush just thinking about it.

She glanced up at Kisame, who had sat across the table from her to eat. He had been watching her the whole time she had been thinking. Their eyes met and Hinata smiled shyly at him. He returned it with a trademark smirk and she saw desire flare in his eyes. Her body responded under his gaze, making her breathing fast and her heartbeat swift. Suddenly embarrassed by her reaction, she dropped her head and hurriedly finished her food. She cleaned and put her dishes away, then said goodnight to everyone and headed upstairs to her room.

Hinata had just changed into her blue tank top and sleep pants when another knock sounded on her door. She hurried to answer it. When she opened the door, she smiled. Kisame was standing there, a grin on his face. Stepping back she allowed him to enter and closed the door. Walking over to her bed, he plopped down and got comfortable, sitting in the middle with his back against the headboard. Hinata climbed up and sat beside him. Not satisfied with the distance between them, he pulled her into his lap. Almost automatically, she rested her head against his broad chest and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head.

Kisame inhaled deeply, taking in Hinata's scent. Woods and rain and woman and now him. He could still smell where their scents had mingled from the night before. He smiled, happy knowing that it would never fully go away. He had claimed her and she was his. Unable to keep from touching her, he trailed a calloused hand down her neck, starting at her ear and slowly making his way across her collarbone and down her arm. Entwining their hands he lifted his head and tilted it to nuzzle her opposite ear.

Closing her eyes, Hinata tried to enjoy the moment, but Hidan's words kept echoing in her head. A frown made it's way onto her face. She needed to talk to Kisame about it, but she wasn't exactly sure how to bring something like that up. Turning partially in his arms, she lay her head on his chest and listened to his steady breathing and the sound of his heartbeat. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"K-kisame-san?"

He frowned. "Just call me 'Kisame'." he said.

Hinata blushed. "I-i'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." he said, dismissing the subject. "What were you going to ask?"

Her blush deepened. "Umm... about w-what Hidan said and l-last night. W-what would we d-do if I g-got p-pregnant?" Embarrassed, she dropped her gaze to his massive chest encased in mesh.

Kisame let out a heavy sigh and his frown deepened. "Do you remember what I told you about the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" She nodded and he continued. "Since I'm genetically fused with a shark demon, that means I'm not entirely human anymore. Which also means that the only person I could have children with would be a woman like myself. So don't worry, even if we wanted kids, there's no way I could get you pregnant." he said, then fell silent.

Hinata looked up at his face when he didn't continue speaking. His eyes were shadowed with sadness and his features were solemn. It had hurt him to talk about it. Even though a small part of her was relieved, a bigger part of her was upset that she caused him pain. She wanted to slap Hidan for his cruelty. "I'm s-sorry." she said softly.

He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Tch. Don't worry about it. It's not like my lifestyle is ideal for a family anyway."

Hinata didn't reply, just wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest, trying to comfort him somehow. Kisame held her tightly for a few moments, then eased them both into a lying position, pulling the black comforter up around them. He kissed her softly on the forehead and gently stroked her back. It wasn't long before she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Hinata fought to stay awake. She wanted to make sure Kisame was okay and she wanted to talk to him some more. But after a long day of traveling and the excitement of being in a new place around new people, her body refused to cooperate and she soon found herself slipping into unconsciousness.

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Shino lounged against the main gatepost and silently watched Kiba pace angrily around, Akamaru close behind him. Their sensei, Kurenai, stood off to the side, hands on her hips. The more Kiba paced, the more irritated she seemed to become. He calculated that at any moment now she would start in on him for being so restless. _'Just the nature of the beast.'_ he thought and smiled at his own humor.

He turned his attention toward the east and noted that the sun would be rising any minute now. If the fourth member of their group didn't show up soon, they would inevitably run into the impending party coming from Iwagakure. Tsunade didn't want them to know she was sending her own team of ninja to investigate the incident involving Hinata. Tsunade said she was confident in the remaining team members' abilities to complete the mission, but since Akatsuki was involved, she had insisted that they go as a four man cell.

Just as Kurenai opened her mouth to lash out at Kiba, a voice overhead stopped her.

"Yo!" Kakashi said with a wave from the archway of the gate. Book in hand, he gave them his familiar eye crinkle that indicated a smile.

"It's about time!" Kiba said angrily. "We should have been gone an hour ago!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Sorry, sorry. You see there was this elderly man at the market..." he started to say, but was interrupted by Kiba's continued ranting.

"Yeah right, the market isn't even open yet." he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "Let's just go already. The longer we delay, the longer Hinata is in danger."

Kakashi held up his hands in a placating gesture, then jumped to the ground. Kurenai joined him and Shino abandoned his place against the gatepost. Kiba climbed onto Akamaru's back and waited, quiet for once. Suddenly serious, Kakashi looked over the other members of the team.

"Alright. The purpose of this mission is to discover the whereabouts of Hyuuga Hinata, and retrieve her if possible. We'll head to Iwagakure, the last known sighting of her, and go from there. I don't need to tell you that it is absolutely important that we keep our presence there secret. If no one has any questions, let's go." Without waiting for a response, Kakashi walked out the gate and headed northwest, the rest of the team close behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The first thing Hinata realized was that she was cold. Rolling over to snuggle closer to Kisame, she frowned when she discovered her bed was empty. The second thing her waking mind noticed was the loud pounding on her door.

"Hinata! Wake up!" Kisho said loudly through the door. "It's time for training and you are NOT making me late!"

Hinata shot up out of bed. Running over to the door so she wouldn't have to yell back, she pulled it open to reveal Kisho's harsh golden eyes. "I'm s-sorry! I'll be r-right out. Five m-minutes." she said and closed the door in his face. She dressed quickly and joined him in the hallway. Making their way silently downstairs, they stopped off at the kitchen for some breakfast. Grabbing some fruit and toast, Hinata ate swiftly. Then they headed to the indoor training room.

Konan was already there, standing in the center of the massive room. It was completely bare except for a couple of benches along the walls. Weapons stands were grouped close by. Hinata gaped at the the sheer number and variety of weapons displayed. There were shuriken in every size imaginable, ranging from thin enough to rival senbon to one that was twice as large as the Fuuma Clan Shuriken. Kunai, tessen, and an impressive number of katana shone with a deadly gleam. The room could easily pass for a small arsenal. '_Tenten would feel right at home here._' Hinata thought. Kisho casually bumped Hinata's elbow to bring her out of her reverie. Blushing, she hurried over to Konan, who had her arms crossed over her chest, silently waiting.

"Alright, now that you are here, let's get started." she said. "What rank did you achieve in your home villages?"

"Chunnin." Kisho stated simply.

"The s-same." Hinata replied.

"And Hinata is a close combat fighter while Kisho is ranged, correct?" Konan asked.

"Yes" they responded simultaneously.

"Fine. We will start by evaluating your skills in all areas of combat, including secret and forbidden jutsus. But in order to become full fledged members, you have to master each one. This, in turn, will strengthen your area of specialty. When other members are not on missions, you will train under them to help achieve your goals faster. When everyone is here, Hinata will train under Itachi and Kisho will train under Deidara. They are closest to your areas of specialty."

Kisho opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced when Konan raised her hand. "I don't care what disagreements you have with anyone else here. Get over them. You are high ranking ninja, not toddlers. If you insist on being defiant, Leader-sama will deal with you. Trust me, Itachi's Sharingan is nothing compared to what he can do to you." she said, accentuating her words with a glare.

Hinata watched Kisho pale visibly. Whatever Itachi had done to him had him terrified of a repeat experience. Every time Itachi was near or someone mentioned his name, Kisho would suddenly become sullen and submissive. Hinata felt sorry for him. Even if he was grouchy, he didn't deserve to be forced to live in fear. She gave him a reassuring smile. He was her new partner after all, and even if neither one liked the idea, they had to get along.

"Now," Konan said, stepping back. "We'll start with a sparring match. Use taijutsu only, no weapons or chakra. The match ends when one of you stays down."

Hinata nodded her understanding and turned to face Kisho. He gave her a doubtful look, but dropped into a fighting stance. Hinata did the same. Konan backed up to the wall and gave them the signal to start. Kisho waited, watching her, so Hinata struck first. Charging him, she kicked low, attempting to knock his feet out from under him. He easily dodged the blow and struck out at her head. Feinting left, Hinata dodged him and landed a hard blow on his side.

Kisho grunted, but didn't fall back, instead aiming another punch at Hinata. Blocking it with her arm, she threw her weight against Kisho, forcing him off balance. Using the opening created, Hinata began a chakraless version of her Jyuuken. Even though it wouldn't be as strong an attack, it would still hurt. She rained down blows on his torso. Her force pushed him back, and he had to catch himself before he stumbled.

Kisho's golden eyes glowed with determination. There was no way Hinata was going to best him. He was over a foot taller than she was and outweighed her by at least fifty pounds. His lips set with resolve, Kisho charged. Hinata watched calmly as he approached. He was aiming for her torso. Using her smaller height to her advantage, Hinata hunched down, forcing Kisho to lean forward to land an accurate hit. Just as he reached her, she dodged to the right, leaving her leg outstretched in his path. The blow missed and Kisho was left sprawled on the ground.

Quickly rolling to a stand, Kisho turned and faced Hinata again. This match was really starting to make him look bad. He had been bested twice so far and he hadn't even landed a single blow yet. Determined not to lose, he charged Hinata again.

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Kisame glanced at his partner as they walked along the road out of Hidden Rain. Itachi hadn't said anything since they left the base over an hour ago. Which wasn't particularly unusual, but today he seemed to be brooding over something. The silence seemed a little more oppressive. Turning back to the road, he frowned.

"Itachi-san?" he started.

"What is it?"

"Is something bothering you?" Kisame asked, looking at him.

Itachi glanced at Kisame before focusing on the road. "You care for the Hyuuga kunoichi." he stated.

Kisame looked away. "Yeah."

"Attachment leads to weakness. Weakness will get you killed." Itachi's said in an emotionless voice.

Kisame raised a thin eyebrow. It was unusual for Itachi to be concerned about anything not directly related to himself. Even though he was the closest thing to a friend Itachi had, he rarely expressed interest in his well being. A grin broke out on the shark nin's face. "Would you care if I got killed?" he teased.

"It would be bothersome to have a new partner." Itachi said with a frown.

Kisame didn't reply. He was blindly staring at the road in front of him, his thoughts already turned to the kunoichi in question. He wondered if Hinata missed him this morning when she woke up alone. He didn't want to leave her, but Itachi had roused him very early for a day mission in the Land of Lightning. So he slipped out silently without waking her. He wondered how her first training session with Konan was going. He hoped that she beat the hell out of her prick of a partner. Kisame smirked. After seeing her techniques in their fight with the Iwa ANBU, he was sure his little hummingbird would make him proud.

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Kisho glared up at Hinata from where he lay on his back on the floor. She was standing over him, panting slightly, her foot planted firmly against his neck. She smiled at him before releasing him and allowing him to stand. Konan walked back over to them. It had been an intense half hour of fighting, but eventually Hinata's agility and experience with hand to hand combat had left her the victor.

"A kunoichi's greatest asset is being underestimated." Konan said, looking at Kisho. "Never forget that." Turning to Hinata, she said "Well done, as expected. We'll see how you do at target practice. Both of you go get a quick drink and catch your breath while I set everything up."

When Hinata entered the kitchen, she stared in shock. Sitting at the table was the most unusual person she had ever seen in her life. He looked like a giant venus fly trap swallowing a clown. If she hadn't been so stunned, she might have laughed. What she could see of his face between the mandibles was divided in two, half black, half white. He had glowing yellow eyes and a mop of green hair. Kisho nearly bumped into her when she stopped, and turned his head to see what she was staring at. The man at the table simply gazed at them with a solemn expression.

"These must be the new recruits." he said in a soft voice.

"**Weaklings. Although, the kunoichi looks quite tasty.**" a deeper, more sinister voice proclaimed. Hinata paled.

"Now, Zetsu, don't be rude. You're scaring her already." the soft voice chided. Hinata was puzzled. Was he talking to himself?

"**Who cares? Nobody asks their dinner what it's feeling.**" came the dark voice again.

Completely bewildered and unsure what to say, Hinata bowed to him and hurried over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. This man frightened her more than a little bit. It wasn't just his looks. That dark voice that came from him sent cold chills down her spine and made her want to flee for her life. Making a hasty exit, she stopped in the hallway just outside the door to catch her breath. She didn't even notice that Kisho had followed her until he spoke.

"What's that guy's deal?" he whispered, looking a little pale himself.

Hinata just shook her head. Afraid that he might hear her if she said something, she abandoned her place against the wall and headed back to the training room. When she stepped inside, she gasped in surprise. Konan was standing in the middle of the room, hands locked in a seal. Around her flew a virtual tornado of origami birds. They were brightly colored, with most of them either blue or red. Two large black birds circled the highest, lazily cruising on their outstretched paper wings.

Hinata smiled at the sight, her uneasiness melting away. Kisho looked on silently. Hinata walked as close to Konan as she could without running into any of the birds. "T-this is amazing." she said. Konan smiled at her.

"Nice to look at, but hardly harmless. They are infused with my chakra and can land a devastating blow." Konan said and lifted her hands. The paper birds flew high into the air, circling the room close to the ceiling. "These are your targets. Grab some kunai and get busy. I want Hinata to take out the red ones, Kisho, the blue. When you are finished, you can try for those." she said, indicating the black birds. "But only one person has ever been able to bring one down. They are one of my specialties."

"Can I use m-my Byakugan?" Hinata asked.

"Sure, if you think it will help." Konan replied.

Hinata nodded and activated her bloodline limit. Grabbing her kunai, she took aim at the nearest red bird. She held her breath and launched it into the air. The bird swooped out of the way just in time to make her miss. Her kunai collided with the one Kisho had thrown at the same time and both landed on the floor with a metallic thud. He gave her an aggravated look and retrieved their weapons. Handing Hinata hers, he took aim again and launched his kunai. It plunged into a blue bird causing it to poof and disappear. Hinata tried again, and this time her red bird popped out of existence as well.

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Kisame leaned casually against the side of a building. Itachi was across the street, 'talking' to the village leader. It seems that one of the villagers from Hidden Rain needed some money and decided to sell information on the Akatsuki to Hidden Cloud. Pein got wind of it immediately, and wanted the man dealt with before he reached his destination. He had only been gone a couple of hours when Itachi and Kisame had set out, so they were fairly certain he was somewhere in this village.

Getting rather bored with the lack of action, Kisame glanced around the town. It was a typical quiet mountain village, with a few shops and businesses gracing the main street. One shop in particular caught his attention. Checking to see if Itachi had everything under control, he made his way over to it and glanced at the wares displayed in the window.

He turned back around to see Itachi looking at him. He had noticed his change in location and was watching to see what had disturbed the shark nin. Kisame shook his head at his partner. Itachi then nodded and turned back to questioning the village leader. After a few minutes of window browsing, Kisame made up his mind and entered the little shop. Locating the shopkeeper, he made his way over to the counter. The little old man behind the register took one look at the man approaching him and swallowed hard. He had dealt with the Akatsuki before, but this one was more intimidating than the masked man that usually came in trying to pawn things.

"Can I help you?" he said in a shaky voice.

Kisame grinned at the man's obvious fear, displaying his sharp white teeth. "Yeah. Do you do specialty orders?" he asked, laying his wallet on the counter.

"Sure." the old man replied, "Just tell me what you would like."

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Kisho and Hinata stood in the middle of the training room, panting heavily. They had finished bringing down their birds a half hour ago and were now trying for the origami ravens. But no matter how hard they tried, or how quickly they attacked, the birds managed to dodge them every time. Even working together wasn't enough. They were just too fast.

Konan looked on, bored. They were obviously too slow to hit one of her blackbirds anytime soon. "Are you two ready to move on now?" They nodded, still trying to catch their breath. "Good. We'll head out to the outdoor training grounds next. I want to see what your chakra can do."

Outside, the rain had died down to a light drizzle. Konan led the way out of town, Hinata and Kisho walking together behind her. When they had left the building, Kisho took one look at the sky and frowned. Now he was walking slightly hunched, head down, staring at the ground ahead of him. Hinata noticed his solemn demeanor. She hung back a little, slowing both of them down and reached out to touch him on the shoulder.

"K-kisho-san?"

Golden eyes locked with lavender ones. "Hmm?" he said quietly.

"W-why are you s-so upset all the t-time?" she asked.

He scoffed. "Why do you think? I don't want to be here. I didn't ask for this. I was perfectly happy where I was." he said, his voice getting more heated as he ranted. "At least you and Kisame get along. I don't have anyone. Although what you see in that bloodthirsty monster is beyond me."

"He's not a m-monster!" she practically shouted, glaring at him. When Konan glanced back at them, she dropped her voice back to a whisper. "He c-can't help the w-way he looks. I know h-he enjoys fighting. W-we all do, to s-some degree, or w-we wouldn't be ninja. But t-that hardly m-makes him a m-monster. There are f-far crueler p-people in the w-world."

Kisho glanced at her, surprised. The vehemence in her voice cooled his temper somewhat. Grumbling a muffled "whatever" he ignored the angry look on her face and concentrated on Konan's back. Ahead of them, a small unseen smile graced Konan's lips. Pein had evidently made a good choice by allowing Hinata to be brought back with Kisame.

On the training grounds, Hinata faced Kisho once more. They were sparring again, this time with chakra. She was still pissed at him for calling Kisame a monster. She tried not to let it go to her head, but the more she thought about it, the madder she became. The bloody scene by the river rose to the front of her mind. She had no doubt that Kisame was the one responsible. But did his thirst for violence deem such a title?

No. If he hadn't been subject to the experiments of Kirigakure and trained to be ruthless, Hinata had no doubt he would be far gentler than he was. He had never shown the slightest inclination of violence toward her the short time she had known him. A real monster was cruel, no matter what the situation. Her ire pulling her from her thoughts, Hinata sharpened her chakra and waited for Kisho to finish summoning his stone lion for Konan.

At last Kisho was ready. Konan nodded for them to begin. Hinata activated her Byakugan as the lion started its charge. She raised her arms and began the movements to weave her chakra net, her anger lending her added speed. She finished just as the lion pounced for her. It collided with the sharpened net and ground to a halt. Backing up a few steps, the lion shook its head, dust and pebbles falling from its face where it had touched Hinata's chakra.

Konan watched from the side, amused. _'I warned him not to underestimate her.'_ she thought to herself as the lion missed its target on the second charge. She knew Hinata was angry over what Kisho had said to her. Usually strong emotions caused people to lose concentration in a fight, but it only made the little kunoichi before her more determined and deadly.

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Itachi and Kisame paused just outside Hidden Rain. They had finished their mission quickly, locating the stray villager soon after Kisame had exited the shop. Dealing with him had been messy but swift, and they had headed back immediately. They were about to enter the village when a slight trembling in the ground caught their attention.

Sniffing the air, Kisame grinned. "Konan's out playing with the kiddies."

Itachi just shrugged and headed toward the village. Silently parting ways, Kisame headed over to the training grounds to see how things were progressing. When he could see what was happening, but remained unnoticed, he stopped. Hinata was sparring with Kisho, and was currently fighting off one of his lions.

At the moment she was high in the air, directly above the construct. Her face held a look of utter fury. As she came down behind the lion, she sped up, her movements becoming a blur. She was using only her hands to attack, sharpening her chakra until it cut through the dense rock. She tore through it, cutting completely through it's legs. The lion stumbled, rocks flying everywhere. As soon as it stilled, Hinata came down on its neck, severing the head.

Kisame looked on, fascinated. Hinata's physical beauty combined with the power of her destructive chakra and her fury left him awestruck. He felt his desire flare as the wind carried her scent to him. Finally still, Hinata stood beside the remains of the lion, panting slightly. Without a word, she walked over to Konan, glaring at Kisho as she passed him.

"Very good." Konan said, nodding. She turned and looked at Kisame. "Since we have company now, let's stop for today and continue the rest of the evaluation tomorrow."

Hinata followed her gaze and saw Kisame standing there with a smirk on his face. Making her way over to him, she smiled at him when she reached his side.

"Well, you seem to be having fun." he said.

"I g-guess." she said blushing. She did feel pretty good after letting some steam off on Kisho's lion. And seeing Kisame again made her feel even better. "W-where did you g-go this morning?"

"An unexpected mission. Let's go and I'll explain it on the way." he said.

They turned and headed back toward the village. Kisame casually slung an arm over her shoulder as they walked. Cheeks red, Hinata leaned into him. She had a feeling that the rest of the evening would be as interesting as the morning was.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Back at the base, Kisame and Hinata stopped by the kitchen to grab a quick lunch. Zetsu was nowhere to be seen (_'thankfully' _Hinata thought with a shiver) and the rest of the downstairs floor was relatively quiet. Sitting side by side at the table, they ate swiftly while Kisame told her about his mission.

"...then Itachi snatched him up from the box he was hiding behind and his Sharingan did the rest." he said.

"I see." Hinata said with a slight smile on her face. From the way he talked about the mission, he really enjoyed what he did. She was about to ask him another question, when Hidan's animated voice echoed across the first floor, interrupting her thoughts.

"Kisho! There you are, you feisty bitch!" he called into the hallway from the common room. A muffled reply from Kisho was all Hinata could hear. She looked over at Kisame, who had finished eating, and noticed he had a frown on his face.

"Kisame?" she started.

"Hmm?" he said, drinking her in with those predatory yellow eyes.

"What's w-wrong?" she asked.

"...and then the little shit had the nerve to hiss at Kakuzu!..." Hidan continued with a loud laugh.

Kisame sighed. "Nothing." Then an idea came to him and his face brightened considerably. "Let's go." he commanded.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she stood with him.

He grabbed her plate and smirked at her before taking them over to the sink to clean up. "My room." he said seriously. Hinata blushed, an image of two nights ago coming to her mind.

Dishes finished, Kisame grabbed her hand and led her out in the hallway. As she passed by the common room, she glanced inside to see Kisho sitting on the couch, arms crossed. Hidan was standing in front of him, hands gesturing as he practically bent over top of him, talking wildly.

"...fucking hair everywhere! What the hell am I supposed to do?" he asked Hinata's sullen partner. Kisho just shook his head.

And then she was gone, headed up the stairs to Kisame's room. As she walked, she stared down at her hand tucked in his. It was so small compared to the calloused one surrounding it. She studied his dark nails. As far as she had seen, all of the Akatsuki had them, including Leader-sama. Was it the result of a jutsu? It almost had to be. She couldn't think of any other explanation that made sense. She highly doubted that a group of S-ranked ninja criminals sat around painting their nails.

Before she knew it, Kisame had stopped in front of his bedroom door, bringing her to a halt. Turning the knob, he opened the door to reveal...a normal bedroom. The walls were white with a deep blue carpet. The dresser, bed and nightstands were matching cherry wood. A blue leather recliner sat in one corner by a large window. The bedsheets were white with a comforter to match the carpet. Hinata would definitely need to talk to Konan about her own décor. Soon.

It was hardly pristine, Hinata noted as she stepped inside and Kisame closed the door. A fine layer of dust coated the dresser and nightstands. She saw several mesh shirts draped over the chair and foot board of the unmade bed. Various weapons lay scattered around the room. Samehada, on the other hand, hung on the wall above the bed on a mounted stand. Yep, your typical bachelor ninja bedroom.

Dropping her hand, Kisame pointed to the bed. "Sit down." he commanded. She did as he asked, perching lightly on the edge of his bed. Waiting expectantly, Hinata watched him draw near and tower over her. He slowly unfastened his cloak and threw it in the corner, watching her the whole time. Taking her hands in his, she watched as an unfamiliar glint appeared in his intense eyes.

"I'm going to do something I've been wanting to do for days." he said seriously. Hinata gave him a questioning look. Shifting both her captured hands into his left hand, he gently raised her arms above her head. Leaning forward, he kissed her gently while running his free hand from her knee up her thigh and slowly climbed her side until he reached her ribs. Breaking their kiss, he pulled back slightly and began tickling her unmercifully.

Kisame watched the play of emotions across Hinata's face. Her eyes widened in shock and realization. Then she blushed. Her face continued to redden as she tried hard not to laugh. She scrunched her eyes shut and began protesting.

"K-kisame!...N-no...S-stop!...Ahhh!" she sputtered before breaking out in a fit of giggles. She flopped backwards on the bed in an attempt to get away from his torturous fingers. He simply followed her down, straddling her hips as he climbed onto the bed. She squirmed with all her might, but he held her fast, chuckling at her vain attempts to escape. Hinata giggled and squealed and protested until she was out of breath. He finally released her when she was panting and red, rolling off of her to rest beside her on the bed.

Hinata sat up quickly, dark hair flying, and gave him a glare. "Kisame! That was...was just..."

"Funny?" he supplied, grinning at her mock indignation.

"That was just m-mean!" she finished.

He gave her an unrepentant look and shifted on the bed until he had his head pillowed on her lap. She looked down at him and released a light sigh, shaking her head. Absentmindedly, she began running her fingers through his thick hair. Kisame watched her face intently as she toyed with the springy strands. The innocent expression it held was completely different from the furious countenance she had that morning. He started to ask her what she had been so angry over, but all thought abandoned him when she began massaging his scalp. He closed his eyes and a low growl of contentment escaped from his throat.

Encouraged, Hinata continued her ministrations for several minutes more. Her fingers found their way down to the thick muscles in his neck. Gently, she massaged the tension from them. Her touch became more exploratory then, and she trailed her fingers up his neck and along his jawline. He cracked an eye open and looked at her before closing it again and allowing her to continue. Hinata marveled at how smooth his skin was as she traced the defined muscles of his face.

His forehead, nose, mouth and chin all came under her physical scrutiny. When she trailed a finger across his lips, he parted them and kissed the tip of her finger before nipping it gently. Hinata smiled and drew her finger away. Cupping his cheek, she feathered her thumb across his markings before leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

Kisame grunted impatiently and rolled toward her, burying his face in her stomach. Nosing his way under her shirt, he began placing open mouthed kisses on her soft belly. Hinata's breath caught in her throat. She felt a blush creep up her neck as her stomach tightened and desire rose to the surface. With a new motive in mind, she ran her fingers along his jawbone and up to where his forehead protector covered his ears. Sliding her fingers underneath, she traced the outline of his ear until she heard a small moan escape his lips.

Hating to ruin the moment, but curiosity riding her hard, she asked the sudden question that popped into her head. "Kisame, w-why do you k-keep your ears c-covered?"

She heard him chuckle softly before he continued the assault on her stomach. "Another gift from Kirigakure." he said between kisses, with a slight bitterness to his tone. "My ears are extremely sensitive to vibrations. Loud noises are painful for me much sooner than for everyone else."

"Oh." That explained the frown at lunch when Hidan was being so noisy. Then another question made its insistence to be asked. "Does t-that mean you can h-hear further too?" she asked.

With a sigh, Kisame abandoned his position and sat up, facing her. Locking gazes, he answered her. "Yes."

Hoping she hadn't said anything to upset him, Hinata reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder. He did nothing, merely watched her. With a worried look crossing her face, she scooted closer to him. Still he didn't move or speak. Getting braver, Hinata brought herself right up against him, nose to nose, straddling his lap. He still remained impassive. At a loss for what to do to make the situation right again, Hinata sighed and leaned forward to kiss him.

Before her lips could find their target, Kisame wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled on the bed, pinning her beneath him. Hinata jumped at the sudden change in position and was breathing hard from the surprise. Kisame smirked at her and leaned down to kiss her passionately, his lips eager and demanding. With a timid smile, she gave in to him, opening her mouth and granting his tongue entrance. She was suddenly glad she had nothing else to do this evening.

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Konan stood silently beside Pein in the center of the training grounds at the edge of the village. She didn't move except to wipe the droplets of rain from her face. Before her stood her new students, looking quite nervous. Hinata was fidgeting and looking at the ground and Kisho was standing with his arms crossed, crimson and black hair hanging in his eyes.

So far she was impressed with the way the evaluation was going. Both of them had proven themselves as very capable ninja. But now came the most difficult part. The forbidden jutsu. Pein had insisted on coming along to watch. He was most interested in what the Stone and Leaf villages had come up with for new techniques. Konan half wished he didn't, because he seemed to make them more skittish than usual. Clearing her throat, she addressed them.

"Okay, it's time to start. Begin the process for your forbidden jutsus. Take as much time as you need. We will work on speed later. Keep an eye on your chakra levels. If you can't complete it without passing out, don't push yourselves. However, I also expect you to do your very best. Begin."

Hinata nodded and walked several yards away from Kisho. She then began the complicated set of hand seals for her jutsu. Concentrating hard, she mentally said each one in her mind as she went through them. On the last one she smiled as she felt her chakra quicken around her. Willing it outward away from her body, she focused on creating a sphere. Small beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead.

"Stinging Fear Bubble!" she shouted.

When her chakra bubble was large enough to surround three people, she held it there and began working on the second stage of the jutsu. Small black dots began forming on her chakra. They began to expand, taking on the form of large spiders. Wiggling their little legs, they began crawling around the surface of the bubble. More and more formed until Hinata was lost from sight in the mass of arachnids. The illusion was perfect, thanks to Shino and Kurenai, who helped her develop it.

Breathing hard, Hinata began her final stage. This part was by far the most difficult. Activating her Byakugan so she could see through the bubble, she chose several points on the surface and began adding more chakra, pushing outward until they formed long tendrils. Sharpening the ends, her chakra whips undulated menacingly, making sharp cracking sounds whenever they made contact with something.

Hinata's head started feeling light. She wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. Steeling herself for her final display, she chose a nearby stump and brought her chakra whips down on it, effectively slicing it in half. Then she dispelled the jutsu, falling to her knees, panting heavily. She was sweating profusely now, and the rain that was steadily coming down on her felt like heaven. After she caught her breath, she turned her head to see how her partner was faring with his own jutsu.

Kisho had just finished concentrating his chakra. It glowed around him with a golden light that matched the color of his eyes. Extending his hand, he began the familiar process of drawing the earth to him. When a large enough boulder reached his side, he began pouring his chakra into it. Still more earth was drawn to him, joining with the boulder until he had a mass that was as tall as two men and nearly five yards wide. Adding his free hand to the boulder, the construct began taking shape.

The head of a large bird formed. Opening its newly constructed beak, rocks and dust began emerging, flowing around and joining the exterior mass. The wings came next. Extending out, Hinata watched as each individual feather formed from the excess rocks. The ends were sharpened into deadly spikes. The tail and legs came next. The talons were formed from hardened minerals drawn from the rocks. Feathers emerged on the body last of all, leaving only the back free of spikes.

"Grand Roc Summon." Kisho said a little wearily.

As the jutsu came to a finish, a panting Kisho climbed onto the back. Lifting his hands, the great bird rose, flapping its wings, stirring up dust as it climbed into the air. Higher and higher it rose, until Kisho was nearly lost from sight. Circling in the air above them a few times, Kisho and the bird dove low, sweeping by them in a blur of movement before rising into the air once again.

Coming in to land, the roc targeted a nearby tree, grabbing it with its beak and talons, reducing it to splinters nearly instantly. A great cloud rose when it came to a halt, obscuring both Kisho and the bird from sight. When the dust and debris settled, the construct was gone, the rocks slowly rejoining the ground below, leaving a nearly unconscious Kisho sitting on the ground, face upturned to the cooling rain.

"Very impressive." Pein said, walking over to them. "By the time your training is finished, you will both be able to hold the jutsu for several minutes with chakra to spare. I also want you to come up with a way to use your techniques together. That will make you a more effective team."

Nodding to Konan, Pein turned and headed back toward the village. Konan walked over to her students and smiled. "That was amazing. You both have quite a bit of potential. Once you've rested a minute, we'll head back to the base and you can work on your taijutsu while I finish giving my evaluation report to Leader-sama."

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Pakkun circled the ground several times, growling low in his throat. Akamaru was several yards away, engaged in a similar activity. Kiba stood close to Kakashi and Kurenai, casually sniffing the air. Shino lounged against a nearby tree, watching the river flow by. Returning to Kakashi, Pakkun delivered the news of what he had found.

"The smells are old and nearly faded, about the same time Hinata would have came through on her way to Iwagakure. There was definitely a fight here. Only two smells are familiar, however. Hinata's and another. It was the same Akatsuki that came to the village with Uchiha Itachi."

"Hoshigaki Kisame." Kurenai said, her worry deepening. "Was she injured here?" she asked Pakkun.

"It's hard to tell. Her scent is the strongest among them, but I haven't picked up the smell of her blood. It may be that she came along after it happened." he replied.

"Let's keep moving then. We are still three days from Iwa. Maybe we can learn more about what happened to her there." Kakash said calmly.

Kiba called Akamaru over and jumped on his back. Shino walked over to them and the group took off, Kakashi and Pakkun in the lead. Kurenai frowned as she ran. Were they too late? If Hinata ran across the Akatsuki, she could possibly have been killed...or worse. The shark ninja was a very strong opponent. It had taken three jounin just to hold him off when he and Itachi came to the village looking for Naruto. If Hinata tried to fight him alone, she wouldn't stand a chance. Trying to shake the feelings of dread from her mind, she concentrated on following Kakashi and getting to her student as fast as she could.

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Hinata sank into the steaming bathtub, grateful for the hot water that soothed her aching muscles. Between several days of nonstop training and Kisame's attentions, her body was in desperate need of a break. The light scent of lilacs wafted up and calmed her mind. Closing her eyes, she let her thoughts wander into a state of blissful nothingness. That lasted for several minutes, until loud knocking on the door disturbed her.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Hidan. Hurry the hell up, I need to take a shower!" came his loud voice from behind the door.

"I'm t-taking a bath!" she called back. She was really tired and there was no way he was running her off.

"Well, come and get me when your done. And for Jashin's sake, don't be all damn day!" he replied angrily before she heard his footsteps retreat down the hallway.

Hinata sighed and closed her eyes again. Some days it really sucked to live in a house full of dominating males. At least she wasn't the only girl around. Konan had to deal with them too. Unfortunately for Hinata, when she wasn't training her and Kisho, she spent the majority of her free time on the third floor with Pein. So she was still stuck putting up with them by herself.

Hinata's water began to cool, so she sat up and washed her hair. Stepping out of the tub, she quickly dried off and dressed. She straightened the bathroom and went to find Hidan. His bedroom was the middle door on the right side of the hallway. Stopping in front of it, she knocked politely. She heard him moving to answer it and stepped back.

Hidan swung his door open and gave her an uneasy smile. "Finished?" he asked.

"Y-yes." she replied.

"About fucking time too." he said.

Suddenly an angry hiss was heard from the interior of Hidan's room. A streak of orange flew by the open doorway before a loud crash was heard somewhere out of sight. Hinata jumped and looked at Hidan questioningly.

"W-what was t-that?" she asked.

"None of your fucking business." he said before stepping into the hallway and closing the door to his room. He started down the hallway, but turned halfway to look at her.

"By the way," he said smiling. "Everyone will be out tomorrow but Kakuzu and I, so I guess we're stuck training with you." He then made his way into the bathroom and slammed the door. Hinata swallowed hard. For some reason, training with Hidan alone made her very nervous. Taking off down the hallway, she went to look for Kisame to see just how long he would be gone.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose with a manicured hand and frowned. On days like today, she truly hated being the Hokage. In a few minutes she would be meeting with the ambassador from Iwagakure and Hyuuga Hiashi. It was bound to be unpleasant at best, and she really wished Shizune hadn't forbidden her from her sake today. She even went so far as to search her office and confiscate every bottle she could find.

"It makes you more temperamental. Since things are already tense with Iwa, we need to be as diplomatic as possible." she had said. Yeah. Hadn't she figured out already that she was more temperamental _without_ it?

Besides that, she was already being extremely diplomatic. In order to give Kakashi's team more time to investigate and report back, she had delayed the meeting for as long as possible, claiming she was swamped with work and unable to schedule a meeting for at least two days. She had given them the best suite in the Hokage Tower, complete with ANBU surveillance, of course, and a knowledgeable guide to show them around the village and keep them occupied.

By this morning they had had enough hospitality, threatening to leave and return to Iwa with reports of an uncooperative and hostile Konoha. So with a sigh, Tsunade sent for the ambassador and Hiashi. Might as well get on with it. Terrible as it might be, she still had to do it. Oh, how she was going to get drunk later. Spying a few sheets of paper sticking out of a drawer where she had hastily shoved her unfinished work while cleaning off her desk, she pulled it open, shoved them in further and pushed it shut again.

A polite knock brought her attention to the door. "Enter!" she commanded.

A servant pulled the door open and in stepped Hyuuga Hiashi. He looked like he was having as pleasant a day as she was. But then again, his countenance usually was quite stern. She noted that his dark hair was starting to gray around the temples and his pale eyes had the slightest hint of a wrinkle around the corners. Other than those two small things, he looked exactly the same as he did ten years ago. It was unfair that some people aged so well.

He nodded and bowed stiffly to her. "Hokage-sama."

"Hyuuga Hiashi, how nice to see you." she said, practicing her diplomacy. "We'll begin the meeting as soon as the ambassador gets here."

With another nod, he moved off to the side of the room to wait. Another knock sounded on the door moments later, and Tsunade called for them to enter. In stepped the ambassador and two Iwa ANBU. Making their way swiftly to the center of the room, they bowed low. Tsunade nodded and they straightened, fixing her with a flat look.

"Gentlemen," she started, "this is Hyuuga Hiashi. He is the clan head and here at your request. Now then, you said there was something you wanted to discuss with us?"

"Hokage-sama, the information I am about to share with you is confidential, but vital to our meeting." the ambassador started.

Tsunade nodded. "Go on."

"A week and a half ago, Iwagakure was infiltrated by two foreign ninja, a male and a female. The male was positively identified as being Hoshigaki Kisame, a missing ninja from Kirigakure. The kunoichi, we believe, is a Hyuuga originating from Konoha." he said.

"What led you to believe this?" Tsunade asked calmly. "Did she bear the symbol of the Leaf?"

"No. They were dressed in civilian clothes. The girl was passing herself off as the daughter of a daimyo from Waterfall Country, with Hoshigaki as her bodyguard. Only her eyes gave her away."

"I see. And what was their objective?" Hiashi asked sternly. Tsunade remained silent.

"I'll get to that in a minute. First I must ask you if Konoha has anyone from the Hyuuga clan listed as a missing ninja." the ambassador stated, looking between Hiashi and Tsunade.

"Of course not." Hiashi said, his eyes sparking indignantly. "The Hyuuga clan has been loyal to Konohagakure since the beginning. We have never had a single ninja that did not follow their orders to the letter."

The ambassador glared. "Then Konoha is in collusion with Akatsuki?"

It was Tsunade's turn to be indignant. "Of course not." she said, raising her voice slightly. "If you'll remember, Konoha has been invaded and attacked by Akatsuki on more than one occasion."

"Then perhaps you sent this ninja to infiltrate Iwa yourself and she found a little help along the way?" the ambassador asked, his voice heating up as well. Tsunade frowned. She was getting rather fed up with this man and his accusations. She casually wondered if there happened to be anyone standing under her window for him to land on.

Hiashi stepped forward. "How do you know that this girl wasn't coerced into helping Hoshigaki?" he asked coolly.

One of the ANBU stepped forward. "Because I fought against them." he said. "They slaughtered six of my teammates, two of them with a combination attack. If she were forced, she would not have aided him. And Hoshigaki's manner of speaking suggested a kinship between them."

"I don't believe you!" Tsunade shouted, her anger rising swiftly. "The only Hyuuga even out on a mission right now would never willingly aid a known criminal. If she were forced to fight, it would

be for her defense only!"

"Besides that," Hiashi said calmly "She is far too weak to either defy a captor or aid one on equal footing. Your perceptions must be at least partly wrong." Tsunade glared at Hiashi as the ambassador gave him a surprised look. She hoped there was room for two outside her window.

"So you do know the kunoichi I speak of?" he asked.

"Yes." Hiashi replied. "She is my daughter."

Tsunade stood behind her desk and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm going to give you the straight truth. The kunoichi I sent out on a mission is late returning. As a precaution, I sent out an investigative team to determine her whereabouts. That is all I can tell you, because that is all that I know."

"So do you deny any involvement with the Akatsuki, infiltrating Iwagakure or the kidnapping of one of its top chunnin?" the ambassador asked firmly.

"Yes." Tsunade answered.

"Then you do have a missing ninja."

"Not yet I don't. But let me assure you, if it turns out that what you say is true, she will be dealt with like any other missing ninja in the Bingo book. By Konoha." she said.

"And if it turns out that you are lying to me, Konoha will suffer dire consequences. Iwa does not take these matters lightly." the ambassador said, turning to leave.

Tsunade glared at him until his back was on the other side of her door. As soon as he was gone, she dropped her head into her hands. That went about as well as she expected it to. Turning to Hiashi, who was still standing there, watching her, she frowned at him.

"You are dismissed, Hiashi." He bowed stiffly to her once again and turned to leave. She called out to him just as he reached the door. "You are wrong about Hinata. She is much stronger than you give her credit for." He ignored her and continued out the door, leaving Tsunade sitting at her desk alone. Pulling out the bottle of sake Shizune had overlooked, she opened it and took a long, slow drink.

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"I'm sorry, boss. The trail seems to end here. I can find no other scent of Hinata." Pakkun said to Kakashi. He had circled the area around Iwagakure for over an hour and apart from the second battleground they came across, he could find no other trace of her.

"But she was definitely here? And the Akatsuki as well?" Kurenai asked.

"Yes."

"Was she killed?" Kakashi asked solemnly. No one wanted to consider that possibility, but he had to ask anyway.

"I can detect her blood, so she was at least injured, but I can't say whether or not she is still alive."

"So let's keep searching for her." Kiba said. He was very frustrated. Whatever had happened to his teammate, it was serious. And puzzling. Somehow, where she had gone to had managed to defeat his, Akamaru and Pakkun's noses, no small feat. It was almost like she was doused with water and carried off somewhere.

"I'm afraid we can't." Kurenai said. "We need to report back to Tsunade-sama and see what she wants us to do next."

"We can't just give up!" Kiba nearly shouted. "She's out there somewhere, probably in the hands of the Akatsuki, and hurt besides!" He started pacing rapidly until Shino calmly grabbed his arm, bringing him to a halt and earning a soft growl from Akamaru.

"Kiba, continuing now is a bad idea. Why? We are in enemy territory. It's been over a week since she was here. We don't have a direction to follow. Wherever Hinata is, it isn't here. We need to let Tsunade know of our findings so she can put together a larger search party and we can cover more ground looking for her." he said.

Kiba said nothing, his hope of seeing his teammate diminishing by the second. When Naruto's team failed to bring Sasuke back, it was a very long time before there was another mission to even go look for him. And he had a feeling that her family would discourage any further attempts to get her. Her father especially. 'A missing Hyuuga is better than a disgraced one,' he would say. Kiba cursed him inwardly for his hardheartedness.

Calling Akamaru over to him, Kiba hopped on his back and took the lead back home. The faster they made it back, the better. He would be having a chat with Tsunade as soon as they got there. She _would_ let him continue to search for Hinata. And he _would_ find her. No matter what.

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Hinata ducked low as Hidan's scythe whistled close to her head. Backflipping out of range, she landed on one foot and immediately did a cartwheel to the left, avoiding Kakuzu's waiting stitches. A small smile graced her lips. She was getting better. The past few months had been quite intense, training every day, nearly all day, but it was starting to pay off. She was much faster, had more chakra, and could think more quickly on her feet. She had even developed a new jutsu or two along the way.

Predicting Hidan's second swing and keeping well out of his range, Hinata charged Kakuzu, keeping him and his bothersome stitches busy chasing her. Swearing the whole way, Hidan ran to intercept her. If she managed to lock down Kakuzu's chakra, he would be defeated. He made it just in time, throwing his scythe in her path, forcing her back. A glint of retribution came to life in her pale lavender eyes.

Skidding to a halt, Hinata changed directions, and started running a large circle around the two ninja. As she was running, she sent her chakra infused shuriken flying, two straight towards them, and two high into the air. While they were busy deflecting them, she completed her circuit, ending behind them. Sharpening her chakra, she sent it forward, piercing Hidan in the back, sending him flying forward, and slicing Kakuzu in the arm.

Catching a glimse of black and gray out of the corner of her eye, she hesitated, checking the doorway of the training room to see if Kisame had come back from his mission yet. That was her undoing, and before she knew it, she was wrapped tightly in Kakuzu's threads, caught and unable to move. Standing up, Hidan lazily made his way over to her, usual grin in place.

"Not bad, bitch. If you were paying more attention to the battle instead of Shark Boy, you may have beaten us."

Hinata blushed, embarrassed. He had known why she hesitated. But that also meant that she was right, he was back. Kakuzu squeezed her with his threads before he released her, not enough to hurt, but an uncomfortable reminder that it wasn't pleasant to lose focus during training. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and retrieved her weapons. She had bent down to fetch the last one when something light jumped on her back and was gone an instant later.

Straightening back up, she glanced over at Hidan. Sure enough, Demon was there, curled up on his master's shoulder, glaring at her. She returned the look, which earned her a fierce hiss from the orange ball of fuzz. Hinata shook her head, remembering her first "training" session with Hidan. He had not so politely told her that the only way he was wasting his time training her would be if she proved herself to him first.

She never should have asked how to do that. When that sadistic smile crossed his face, she knew she was in trouble. "It's simple really." he had said. "All you have to do is give my kitten a bath. Any ninja can handle that." Yeah right. She had spent the better part of two hours chasing said kitten through the base, and half the Akatsuki had howled with laughter at the sight of a red faced kunoichi being outmaneuvered by a creature small enough to fit into a jacket pocket.

But she had been determined, so catch him she did. Another hour and two lacerated arms later, and the little devil was clean. Hidan had been highly amused, of course, but as promised began her training immediately. A little too soon for Hinata's liking. He never even gave her time to bandage her scratched and bleeding arms. Damn cat.

"Hey, Hinata." Kisho said as he walked into the training room, bringing her back to reality. "Leader-sama wants to see us upstairs."

"C-coming." she answered.

Bowing to Hidan and Kakuzu, she thanked them for the training session before following Kisho out the door and toward the stairs. As she walked she glanced over at her partner. He had definitely changed a lot over the past couple of months. Even though he was still a little moody, he rarely snapped at people anymore and could even tolerate being in the same room with Deidara. And after their evaluation with Konan, he stopped treating her like she was weak and inferior, instead he actually started talking to her and helping her work on their combination jutsu as Pein ordered.

Now on the third floor, they made their way to Pein's office and Kisho knocked softly. A muffled command to enter was heard through the door, and pushing it open, they stepped inside. Pein was sitting behind his desk, much the same way he was when she had first met him. Konan stood off to his right. Bowing low, they waited silently for him to speak.

"Konan tells me that both of your skills have improved greatly. I am ready to assign you your first mission, if you think you can handle it." he said.

Kisho and Hinata exchanged looks. Their first mission. As Akatsuki. Turning back to Pein, they nodded in unison.

"Good. I'm sending you both to the Land of Waves. In a village on the coast you will find the Great Naruto Bridge. It is a symbol of their strength and unity. I want you to destroy it. You will get your cloaks before you leave. Once you have completed your first mission, you will receive your rings. Any questions?"

Hinata shook her head. Destroy the Great Naruto Bridge. Not only was it a symbol of the country's unity, it was also a memorial to the strength and dedication of Konoha and Team 7. It was their first real victory as a team, and the story was well known throughout the world. It had to be a test of her loyalty. Taking part in destroying it would prove that her bonds with her home village were severed.

But could she do it? Betray the people she had grown up with? Betray the man she had loved until she had lost all hope of ever having him? There would be no circumstances to excuse her actions once the deed was done. She would officially be a missing ninja on both sides. An Akatsuki. Sighing softly, she decided she couldn't do it. Not for Pein. Not for Akatsuki. She could, however, do it for Kisame.

For love. She could do it to stay by his side. If she didn't complete the mission, she would either be killed when she returned or forced to run back to Konoha. Either way, she would lose him. So to keep him, she would do it. She had to. She didn't know how she would be able to survive without him. He had somehow worked his way into her soul, never to be drawn back out.

Glancing over at Kisho, she noticed that he had not had the same battle with doubt that she just had. He was standing there with a determined look on his face. He would definitely be able to do it.

Pein appraised his newest members swiftly before he spoke again. "Good. You leave first thing in the morning. Be ready."

Dismissed, Hinata bowed and headed back downstairs to find Kisame. He was playing pool with Hidan in the common room. So far he hadn't noticed her presence in the doorway, so she decided to keep quiet and watch him. He was facing away from her, leaning over the table to line up a difficult shot. The hard muscles in his back and shoulders flexed and rippled as they worked beneath the ropes of mesh covering his smooth skin. Drawing back, he lightly tapped the cue ball, bumping it into the next four and sinking his ball perfectly.

Hidan swore. Noticing Hinata standing in the doorway, he called to her. "Hinata-chan! Get your ass over here and distract Fish Boy so I can win."

"Hidan, d-don't call Kisame t-that. He's n-not a fish." she chided. Hidan rolled his eyes and gave her a long-suffering look.

Kisame straightened and turned around. Hinata was standing in the doorway, watching him. She still had her training outfit on, so she must have just come back from her meeting with Kisho and Pein. He smiled at her as she made her way to his side. Dropping a chaste kiss on the top of her head, he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. It would be an eternity before he would tire of the way she affected him.

He felt his whole body relax as she settled beside him. It felt so right to have her there. In the couple of months that she had been with him, a peace he had never known was possible had settled over him. A peace that didn't belong in their world of death and destruction. He just prayed that nothing ever disturbed it. Kami help the one responsible if it ever happened. He would utterly destroy them.

"Hey! Shoot the damn ball already." Hidan said, shaking his head. "And get that goofy look off your face, for Jashin's sake. Whipped isn't even the fucking word for it, seriously."

Giving him an irritated look, Kisame leaned over the table and lined up another shot. Just as he was about to sink another ball, Hinata's scent distracted him once again. There was a strong hint of desire in it, and his body responded accordingly. Shaking his head, he took aim. And missed. Hidan smirked at him. His plan was working all to well. Fifteen minutes later, Kisame stalked out of the room and headed upstairs with Hinata while a triumphant Hidan was left to rack the balls.

After taking a hot shower to soothe her tired muscles, Hinata made her way to her room, where Kisame was waiting for her. Stepping inside, she inhaled the scent of fresh lilacs and smiled. She liked it much better here since Konan had helped her redecorate. Her carpet was now a light cream, as was the bedding and curtains. The furniture was still black, but it contrasted with the rest of the room nicely. A translucent yellow vase on her dresser revealed the source of the perfumed air.

Kisame was lounging on her bed, arms tucked behind his head. He had his forehead protector off, and his navy locks lay in all directions sprawled out on her pillow. Walking over to her dresser, she fished her pack out of the bottom drawer. Inside lay her own protector, forgotten since she had been here. Taking it out, she opened the top drawer and pulled out one of her kunai.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she drew her kunai over to hover over the symbol of Hidden Leaf. She was just about to touch the metal when his large gray hand grabbed hers, pulling it back.

"Kisame..." she trailed off.

"Only do it if you're absolutely certain, Hummingbird. Once it's done, there's no going back." he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Hinata turned to look him in the face. The hard lined face that had brought her more happiness in a few short months than she had had in her entire life. With a determined look, she nodded once before he released her hand. Bringing the kunai down hard, she made the mark that ended one part of her life and started another. Dropping the weapon in the floor and her headband beside his on the bed, she turned around and climbed into Kisame's waiting arms.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Hinata glanced at her reflection in the mirror one last time, pale eyes staring back. Adjusting her new cloak, she smiled. It fit well and was quite comfortable, even if it was a little bulky. She tied her headband in its customary place around her neck. Last of all, she pulled on her new black boots. Konan had given them to her, saying that they were part of her new uniform. They were open toed with a small heel and came up to her thighs.

Blushing lightly, she thought about what lay beneath her cloak. She felt more than a little under dressed. She wore only a mesh top over her bindings and a pair of flexible shorts. Kisame had insisted she wear the lightest thing she owned, since her cloak would get quite warm in the summer heat, and she wouldn't be able to take it off while she was on the mission.

Turning around, she smiled shyly at Kisame, who was once again lounging on her bed. "H-how do I l-look?" she asked him.

"Terrible." he replied, grinning at her. Hinata gave him a perplexed look, and started to fidget. Did she really look that bad? She started to turn back to the mirror to see what was wrong when his voice halted her. "I'm just kidding. You look great." he said, placating her. She just shook her head at him.

"I guess I-I'm ready. It's t-time to go." she said, nervousness coming into her voice.

Climbing off the bed, Kisame walked over to Hinata and wrapped his arms around her. Burying his face in her neck, he tickled the skin there with his warm breath. Kissing her pulse point, he whispered in her ear. "I have a little gift for you when you get back."

Hinata turned her head to look him in the face. "W-what is it?" she asked.

"It's a surprise. You'll see it when you return."

Hinata smiled at him. Turning around in his arms, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her soft lips to his. Pulling her flush against him, Kisame deepened the kiss, pouring all of his feelings for her into it. Remembering that she needed to breathe, Hinata broke away first. He released her and, checking the room one last time to see if she forgot anything, she headed for the door.

Kisame followed her downstairs and outside, where Kisho stood, waiting for her. He was also wearing his new cloak, his crimson and black hair matching it perfectly. Beside him stood two of his stone lions. Their sightless eyes roamed over her and they shook their heads, waiting for their creator's commands. Hinata looked at them, then back at Kisho, shaking her own head as well.

"Kisho, you shouldn't w-waste your chakra like t-that. You m-might need it." she chided.

He gave her an unrepentant grin. "This is nothing. Besides, if we run into trouble, I can always borrow yours. And it sure beats running the whole way. Now climb aboard, and let's go."

Hinata turned and gave Kisame one last parting kiss before she climbed onto the back of the nearest lion. She had a feeling that before the day was out, her bottom would regret not forcing them to walk. Placing one hand on the lion's shoulder for balance, she turned and looked at Kisame, who had an amused look on his face. She gave him a wave and a smile as the lions started moving. Kisho moved up to her side on his lion and they headed out of the village.

Once they were on the edge of the village, Kisho increased speed. The lions bounded forward, forcing Hinata to hold on with both hands. As they ran, the ground trembled slightly from the force of the lions' weight. Hinata was a little surprised. Even though the lions were made of stone and very heavy, the ride wasn't bumpy at all. Kisho was pretty talented when it came to mimicking the grace and fluidity of the real thing. She might not regret accepting the transportation after all.

Finding herself relaxing, Hinata watched the countryside as they traveled. It was pretty here, in a rugged sort of way. There were plenty of mountains and grassy meadows, but very few trees. Late summer wildflowers bloomed all over the place. It was raining, of course, and Hinata turned her face up to let the light droplets hit her face. She looked over at Kisho and found him watching her. That made her nervous. Resisting the urge to fidget, she gave him a shy smile. He looked away, but not before Hinata noticed the blush that covered his cheeks. What was that about?

Turning her attention back to the road, she measured up how long it would take to reach their destination. Two and a half days at their current rate of speed. Kisho wouldn't be able to hold the jutsu for that long, however, so she estimated that they would actually get there in about three days. She frowned a little at that. That meant she wouldn't get to see Kisame for almost a whole week. And she was starting to miss him already.

By the time dusk came, they had reached the border of the Land of Waves. Coming to a stop, Kisho and Hinata climbed down and Kisho dispelled his jutsu. His breathing was a little labored and he was starting to look tired. _'It's no wonder'_ Hinata thought. _'He must have some exceptional stamina to hold a jutsu all day. Even if it is a minor one.'_ "Let's stop for the night. It's getting dark and you need to recover some of your chakra." she said.

Kisho agreed. They searched for nearly a half hour before they found a suitable place to camp for the night. It was a small grove of stunted trees and scrub brush. The middle was nice and flat and relatively free of rocks. Hinata lay out a protective jutsu while Kisho built them a small fire. They shared a quick meal in companionable silence, then turned in for the night.

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Kisho strained to see in the darkness, but it was no use. Everything was black. There was no light, no sound, nothing. Nothing except that terrifying pair of blood red eyes. He tried to run, but he was frozen to the spot. They bore into his soul, getting larger and larger until they engulfed him completely. A strangled cry emerged from his lips before he sat up, wide awake, in a cold sweat.

Looking around, Kisho breathed a sigh of relief. He was still at the campsite. It was just another nightmare. He hadn't had one in over a month now, so he wasn't expecting it at all. Wiping the moisture from his brow, he turned to where Hinata was sleeping peacefully beside him. A slow smile found its way onto his face as his breathing steadied and his heart rate slowed down.

If it weren't for her, he would surely be insane by now. He had hated her at first. Hated her and Kisame for their part in taking him away from his village and all the people he knew and loved. But as the days went by, her quiet manner and kindness drove the hatred away. Until Itachi came along with his damned Sharingan.

Kisho shivered as he relived that night in his head. The hours of torture, of pain. It was brutal. Itachi had broken him in a way that Kisame never could with his fists and sword. His soul had very nearly shattered, leaving him frightened and bitter. He never, ever, wanted to go through that again. And once more, Hinata had saved him. Her concern and steadfast support had slowly drained the bitterness away. She even helped him to accept his new circumstances in life. His mind was still frayed a little around the edges, but he was there.

He sighed softly. She seemed to agree with the sentiment, sighing as well and rolling over in her sleep. His golden eyes glowed softly as he watched her slumber. He so very much wanted to reach over and touch her. His savior. Just run her raven hair through his fingers. But he already knew the folly of it. She was in love with Kisame. And the shark ninja would kill anyone who even thought about messing with her. A hint of jealousy rose to the front of his emotions. He pushed it down quickly. If he couldn't have her love, he was more than content to have her friendship.

Pushing his obsidian tipped hair out of his eyes, he stared off into the darkness. The stillness was oppressive. No birds or frogs or cricket songs. It set him on edge, reminding him of his nightmare. Trying his best to ignore the feelings of dread, he lay down again and turned toward his partner. Concentrating on her steady breathing, he was soon entranced by the rhythm of it and fell into a dreamless sleep.

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"Do you feel t-that?" Hinata whispered.

"Yeah." Kisho replied softly.

Coming to a sudden halt, Hinata silently activated her Byakugan. Searching the surrounding area, she located the source of the chakra spike. It was a lone ninja. He was several yards ahead of them. From what she could tell, he was fairly strong, but not anything they couldn't handle. And he was aware of them. She could see the kunai he had gripped behind his back. He also carried a rather large bundle slung over his shoulder. Sure enough, after a moment of debate, his gravelly voice rang across the terrain.

"You might as well come out and face me. I already know you are there." he said. Hinata furrowed her brow. Even though she was sure she didn't know him, there was something about his accent that was familiar. Glancing at Kisho, she nodded. Sliding kunai from their weapons pouches, they jumped down from the tree they had halted in and faced the newcomer.

As soon as they had landed, the ninja immediately dropped into a defensive stance and brought his kunai to the front. His green eyes narrowed in anger and he glared at them. "Akatsuki." he stated, his voice dripping with menace.

Kisho smirked. Hinata frowned and appraised the man. He was tall, heavily tanned and had short sandy brown hair. She noted from his slashed headband that he was a rogue ninja from Suna. So that's where the accent had come from. She recognized it from the time she had spent with the Sand siblings during and after the Chunnin Exams. A thought suddenly occurred to her. If he had abandoned Suna, why would he be angry with the Akatsuki?

"You seem to know of us, but who are you?" Kisho said, his low, rumbling voice tense but confident.

"My name is Matsu. Remember it well. It is the name of the man sending you both to Hell." he said angrily.

"W-wait." Hinata said. "If you are a m-missing nin from S-suna, why do you w-want to fight us? W-we are n-not enemies."

"Oh, we're enemies alright, _kunoichi_." he said, sneering at her. "If it weren't for the Akatsuki, I wouldn't have had to leave the village. But because the poisons used by Sasori on Kankuro-san, Elder Chiyo and that pink haired kunoichi from Konoha were so deadly, the Kazekage decided to regulate which ones the puppetmasters could use and which ones were to be banned.

All my research, my studies, everything was for nothing. And they watched me constantly. One of their most loyal shinobi, watched like a rabid dog. I had finally had enough and left. But that doesn't mean I forgot what you criminals did, nearly blowing up the village and killing everyone. Now it's my turn to return the favor. Only Iwon't _fail_." Matsu said, grinning maniacally.

Setting his bundle on the ground, Matsu held his kunai between his teeth and performed a few quick hand seals. The bundle began to quiver and the wrappings fell away to reveal a puppet. It was shaped like a man, with long, dark hair. It's eyes were painted red and it held a katana in it's jointed fingers, dripping with a dark purple substance. Raising his hands, Matsu had the puppet rise, and Hinata heard the faint rattling sound of wood on wood.

Kisho froze in terror. He couldn't think, couldn't move. Red eyes. Eyes that bore into his soul, tearing him apart. And they came closer. He tried to do something, anything. His body wouldn't respond. His brain wouldn't work. He was held transfixed as the evil red eyes of death came closer and closer.

"K-kisho?" Hinata asked worriedly as she looked over at him when she felt his chakra flare unsteadily. He didn't respond, just stared blankly ahead. "Kisho-kun, s-snap out of it!" she said desperately. Something was wrong with him. He was lost in another place, frozen to the spot. She had to find a way to get him back or they would both be in trouble. Looking back at Matsu, she watched as he made his first move.

This was bad. She had to do something, and fast. If she managed to get to Matsu, maybe she could shut down his chakra and disable the puppet. Then she would be able to defeat him. Since he was a puppetmaster and therefore a ranged fighter, she would have a big advantage if she engaged him in hand to hand combat.

"Die!" Matsu shouted as the puppet flew forward. Hinata charged and met the puppet, blocking it's sword with her kunai. Knocking it to the side, she kept running, straight for Matsu. Just before she reached him, she glanced back to see if Kisho was dealing with the puppet. He still wasn't moving, except for a slight trembling in his hands. The puppet was almost to him, sword raised, ready to strike.

Hinata's eyes widened. If she kept going, she could take out Matsu, but by the time that happened, the puppet would strike Kisho. And it's blade was definitely poisoned. He would most likely die. If she went back to defend Kisho, she would have to take out the puppet and Matsu by herself. And since he was so strong, there was a good chance she would die instead. But there wasn't really a choice to be made. She couldn't let her partner die. Taking a deep breath, she skidded to a halt and turned back.

The eyes kept coming closer. Getting larger. Just like his nightmares, only this time, they were terrifyingly real. He started trembling. Just when they were ready to engulf him, a blur of bluish black swept across his vision. Then he heard Hinata's painful scream. Crashing back to reality, he saw her in front of him, kunai shakily blocking the sword of the puppet. If she made it in time, the why did she scream?

Coming around to her side, he saw it. The free hand of the puppet was buried in her stomach. Poison oozed from tiny senbon sticking out of its fingers. Finally free of his fear, he knocked the puppet back, away from Hinata. She fell to her knees, holding her stomach, as blood started to seep through the torn edges of her cloak. She was breathing heavily and sweatdrops started popping out on her forehead.

"K-kisho." she said in a raspy voice.

"Don't move or try to talk. It will make the poison spread faster. Just rest while I take care of this guy." Kisho said calmly.

The puppet was back up and charging again, joints chattering madly. Kisho ran to meet it headlong, crimson hair flying. As soon as they met, he ducked out of the way, spinning around it, and kept going. While he ran, he reached down, grabbing the chakra strings controlling the puppet. Concentrating, he started sucking the chakra out. He heard the puppet collapse behind him, useless without its master's control.

Matsu raised his kunai and met Kisho. Metal clanged as they parried. Using the momentum to his advantage, Kisho brought his free hand around and punched Matsu in the face, sending him flying. Not stopping there, he followed the enemy ninja to the ground, knocking his kunai away and punching him again, this time in the stomach.

Rage and guilt consumed him. If he hadn't been afraid, Hinata would never have gotten injured. This was all his fault. And Matsu's. They had nothing to do with the attack on Suna, but the man was blinded by the black cloak with red clouds. Eyes full of hatred, Kisho stood after repeatedly punching the man until his nose and mouth were pouring blood.

Forming hand seals, he stood over Matsu and glared at him. Matsu's eyes widened as the ground started trembling and the head of a massive stone lion came into his view. Kisho picked him up by the shirt. Sucking the chakra out of him, his eyes glowed a fierce gold.

"You picked the wrong kunoichi to attack. Now you will rot in Hell for that mistake." he growled. He dropped him back onto the ground and turned away. Walking back over to Hinata, he never even winced when the painful scream behind him was followed by the sickening sound of bone crunching between the stone teeth of his lion. Then everything was silent.

Careful of her injuries, Kisho picked Hinata up and turned around. His lion trotted over to him, blood dripping from its muzzle. It knelt down before him, and Kisho climbed onto its back, setting Hinata carefully in front of him. The lion rose and bounded off. They had to get back to the base. Now.

Pouring extra chakra to the lion, Kisho willed it to go faster. Hinata started shivering in his arms. Glancing down at her, he noticed that her pale eyes were dilated with pain. Sweat was pouring off of her now, and the blood continued to seep from the wound on her stomach. Fear made his throat tight. She couldn't die. She just couldn't. He would never forgive himself.

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Kisame tried his best to focus on the television blaring in the common room. But it did little good. He was bored to death, and irritated besides. He wouldn't have another mission until tomorrow, and Hinata wasn't here to keep him company. Hidan was sitting on the couch, watching some nature show with wild animal fights. The occasional 'Hell yeah!' would emerge from his lips when a particularly bloody battle commenced. Demon was curled up beside him, tail twitching constantly.

Kisame sighed and looked out the window. It wasn't raining for once, and they had the windows thrown open, letting the warm summer air circulate through the room. The sun was setting, and the white walls of the room glowed a soft orange in the dying light. The smell of wet concrete and grass wafted in, mixing with the scent of whatever Konan was making in the kitchen. He had zoned out, thinking of Hinata and how her mission was going, when a light fluttering reached his sensitive ears.

A small black hummingbird with a pale throat had landed on the open windowsill. It sat there, ruffled feathers shaking off the raindrops that dripped on it from the rooftops. It cocked its head and chirped at Kisame. He smiled, thinking of Hinata. If he could catch it, it would make a great gift for her. Before he could move to do anything, a flash of orange swept by him and onto the window.

Demon had pounced, trying to catch the small bird. He scored a hit, but before he could get a good hold, the tiny thing had beat him with its wings and flown off, leaving a small whirlwind of broken feathers in its wake. Kisame glared at the cat. Swatting at it with his hand, he sent Demon scurrying back to Hidan's side, hissing the whole way.

More irritated than ever, Kisame stood and walked out of the common room. Since it was a nice day, he decided a good workout with Samehada was in order. It would help work off his nerves, at any rate. He had just started toward the stairs when a crash at the front door caught his attention. Grabbing a kunai, he started making his way stealthily to it, when two familiar chakra signatures made him pause in surprise.

It was Kisho and Hinata, and both of their chakra was very weak. His heart started pounding. Something had gone terribly wrong. With his heart in his stomach, he ran to the door and threw it open. There stood Kisho, panting too hard to speak, sweat pouring off of him. The remains of one of his lions was crumbling slowly behind him. In his arms lay Hinata. She was very ill and Kisame saw blood leaking out onto her abdomen.

"What the hell happened!" he yelled angrily. Taking Hinata from him, he didn't wait for a reply. He turned and ran for the stairs.

"Oh, fuck." Hidan said from the doorway of the common room. Konan emerged from the kitchen to see what what going on. She watched Kisame run past her, then turned and walked over to Kisho. She started to ask him what happened, when he passed out at her feet. Hidan helped her get him to the couch. She frowned as she watched his unconscious face. What had happened to them?

"Itachi!" Kisame roared for his partner as he rushed to his room. Throwing open the door, he hurried to his bed and carefully lay Hinata on the covers. Unclasping her cloak, he gently pulled it from her body to examine the wound. Five deep puncture wounds covered her left side. They were swollen and purple. A sticky green substance oozed out, mixing with her blood.

Itachi came in behind him. He took one look at Hinata and activated his Sharingan. Going over the wound, he turned to Kisame. "She's been poisoned. It's very complex. And it seems to have worked its way through her whole body." he said solemnly.

Kisame had barely heard him. His attention was focused solely on Hinata. Her breathing was labored, so he removed her headband from around her neck to make it easier for her. Grabbing a corner of the blanket, he wiped the sweat from her face. Taking her hand, he frowned at how cold and clammy it felt. But she slowly opened her eyes and brought them into focus. "Hang in there, Hummingbird." he whispered to her.

"Kisame." she said with a weak smile. That was all she could manage to get out before she lost consciousness once more. Turning to look at Itachi, Kisame waited to hear the words that would surely make his blood run cold.

"There is nothing I can do for her, Kisame. She is dying."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"There is nothing I can do for her, Kisame. She is dying." Itachi said in his emotionless voice.

"No!" Kisame shouted. "She can't die!"

Itachi returned his angry gaze with a calm one. "If she stays here, her death is inevitable. However, I know of one person that can save her."

"Who?" Kisame demanded, grabbing Itachi by the front of his cloak.

He regarded his partner coolly before he answered. "The Sannin, Tsunade, Hogake of Konohagakure. But Leader-sama would never let you take her back. It's too much of a risk to our safety. And it will take you at least three days to get there. I don't believe she has that long." If it had been anyone else to grab him, he would have killed them.

Kisame released Itachi and turned to where Hinata lay on his bed. Carefully picking her up, he turned to his partner. "Leader-sama can do whatever he damn well pleases with me when I get back. I'm taking her. And I _will_ make it in time." he said.

Itachi nodded as Kisame took off. Through the empty hallway, down the stairs, right past Konan and out the still open door he ran. He never even bothered to look at Hidan and Kisho as he rushed past. Three pairs of eyes watched as he took off down the street, heading out of the village.

"Where the hell is he going?" Hidan asked, looking at Konan. She just shrugged. Wherever he was going with Hinata, she hoped he made it in time. She had really grown to like the girl in the couple of months that she had been with Akatsuki. It would be a shame to lose her so soon. Turning back to Kisho, she gave him a hard stare. "Let's go upstairs so you can tell Leader-sama what happened." she said.

Wearily, Kisho hung his head. Nodding, he stood and followed Konan out of the room and up the stairs. As he passed the second floor, he noticed Itachi standing in the hallway, arms folded in front of him. Blood red eyes met gold ones an instant before he looked away. Guilt and anger consumed him. This was all Itachi's fault. If he hadn't used the Sharingan on him, he never would have froze up when Hinata needed him. Then she wouldn't have gotten hurt and they would still be on their way to the bridge. Glaring, he stood in front of Pein's office.

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Kisame bent forward as he ran. It had started raining again, and he was trying to shield Hinata's body from as much of it as he could. He should have brought something to cover her with as they traveled. Stupid, he chided himself. A stray drop hit her face anyway and he glanced down at her. Her eyes were half open and her cheeks were flushed. She had a fever. Kisame frowned. That would take a toll on her already weakened body.

Pouring chakra into his legs, he forced himself to go faster. He silently thanked Kami that he had a huge supply of it. If there was ever a reason for him to have so much, this was it. He would use every drop he had to get her to help in time. Even if it killed him. If he lost her, he might as well be dead anyway. He was nothing without his little Hummingbird. Peering into the growing darkness, he pushed his morbid thoughts away. He _would_ make it.

A few hours later, Hinata's fever worsened. She was burning up in his arms. It was also getting more difficult to hang on to her. The poison was working its magic on her system, making her occasionally thrash in pain. Spotting a small stream glittering in the moonlight, Kisame stopped to rest and wipe her face and bare arms. It would help to cool her skin and hopefully bring her fever down some.

He had just finished her arms and was going to wipe some of the blood off her stomach when her small, pale hand grabbed his arm. Looking at her face in surprise, he smiled. Her eyes were open and clear. Her face was lined with pain, but she didn't seem delirious.

"Kisame. W-where are we?" she asked weakly.

"We're on our way to Konoha. I'm taking you to Tsunade." he answered.

"N-no." she said with more force than he thought she was capable of. "You'll be k-killed."

"I'll be fine. Listen, I want you to do something for me. When you get there, don't tell them anything about us. Let them think you were held captive the whole time. And whatever you do, don't defend me."

Hinata frowned and started to protest, but he stopped her with a finger to her lips. "If they think you turned on them, they will question you, maybe even torture you for information. I wouldn't be able to stop myself from killing all of them if they did that. Let them continue to believe I'm the monster they think I am. It will keep you safe. Please, do it for me."

Hinata nodded and closed her eyes. Kisame wrapped her in his cloak and picked her back up. "Now get some rest. We need to keep moving." he said. Gripping the mesh of his shirt, Hinata curled into his chest. Feverish tears rolled down her cheeks as another wave of pain coursed through her body. If only she hadn't been so weak, she could've defeated Matsu. But she didn't. And now she had to leave Kisame because of it. Her father had been right. She was worthless.

Kisame felt Hinata's body relax as she slipped back into oblivion. She had been lucid, but her fever hadn't come down any. If anything, it was worse. He had to hurry. His aching legs protesting the continued abuse, he pressed himself to go faster. His chakra was holding up fine, so his body would just have to deal with it.

Dawn came and went just as Kisame crossed the border into the Land of Fire. His body screamed at him to stop. His legs had started cramping long ago and his back and arms were sore from carrying Hinata all night. He was sweating heavily, even though the morning air was cool, and his chakra was lower than it had ever been in his life. Even his hair drooped around the edges of his forehead protector.

He had to keep going. He had about a day's worth of travel left, but if he kept the pace he had been going at, he should make it to the gates by noon. He just hoped for Tsunade's sake that she was as good as Itachi claimed. Hinata was getting worse, her breathing getting raspy and uneven. She hadn't regained consciousness since the stream, and her fever was still dangerously high. Her thrashing came at more regular intervals, and she had almost jumped out of his arms more than once.

Finally, after running all morning without a single break, Kisame spotted the massive gates of Konohagakure. Stopping just out of sight, he leaned heavily against a tree. He was on the verge of collapse, his chakra all but gone and his body nearly ready to shut down on him. But he had made it. Hinata was still alive, and they were here.

Setting her gently down, he removed his cloak from around her, and put it back on. She never even stirred. Cupping her cheek, he gently kissed her on the lips. Her eyes fluttered once before she was still, save for her ragged breathing. Taking a deep breath, he took her scent in one last time. Even if he never saw her again, he would savor this moment for eternity. He would have sighed if his labored breathing would have allowed it.

Picking her up once again, he turned and walked toward the guards standing at their post. When they noticed his approach, their eyes widened and they nearly panicked. One shinobi stood in the way, kunai out, ready to defend his village to the death, while the other ran for help. Kisame could hear his frantic shouts in the background.

Pasting a smirk on his face, he stopped five feet from the guard. He looked from Hinata to Kisame. His face filled with rage and he was just about to attack when Kisame spoke.

"Don't. I'm not here to fight." he growled. Then he said the words that would guarantee Hinata's safety and damn his soul. Each one tore through his heart like shards of glass as they passed his lips. "Take this worthless kunoichi to the Hokage. Tell her this is what happens when Konoha interferes with the Akatsuki's business."

Forcing his fingers to loosen his grip, he opened his hands until gravity took over, and Hinata landed at his feet with a dull thud. Glaring angrily at the man still frozen in front of him he brought his hand in front of his face. "Do it. Now." he commanded before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Kisame watched from several yards away as a crowd gathered at the front gates. They were checking Hinata carefully, but none of them seemed interested in getting her to the hospital anytime soon. That is, until the pink haired kunoichi arrived. Haruno Sakura. She pushed her way through the crowd, shouting angrily at them for standing around. She took one look at Hinata, scooped her up and turned around, running for the hospital.

Kisame let out a relieved sigh. Now all he had to do was wait to see if she made it. His eyes drooping with exhaustion, he dropped to the base of the tree. Konoha would probably be sending out a pursuit team immediately. But he was too tired to run. Spotting a very large hollow tree nearby, he slumped down inside it. Using the last of his available chakra, he cast a defensive jutsu just before he passed out.

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Kisho lay on his bed in the dark, his mind a blissful blank. He refused to sleep, even though he was exhausted. As soon as he closed his eyes, the nightmares would begin. Ever since Hinata was injured, they returned to haunt him. And this time they were much worse. Wooden puppets, Kisame, Hinata and Zetsu all joined in his nightly torture.

He might as well get it over with. He had to have some form of rest. After Pein nearly took his head off for screwing up, he assigned him to work with Zetsu until Hinata returned or he found another partner. Kisame still hadn't returned yet, even though it had been almost three days. Kisho hoped he returned soon. If Pein decided to partner him with Itachi, he would probably go mad and kill himself.

A wave of guilt swept over him as he closed his eyes and let exhaustion sweep over him. "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan." he whispered as the glaring red eyes of death slipped into the blackness of his mind.

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Hinata slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the sunlight streaming through the window. It wasn't raining. That was good, maybe she and Kisame could do something fun outside. Then she heard a familiar voice, and turning her head, she frowned. What was Tsunade doing in her room?

"Good, you're awake." Tsunade said, smiling at her.

Hinata didn't answer her. The events of the last couple days were flashing in her head as her memory came back to her. Her mission with Kisho, the puppet, a frantic race back to the base, then waking up to Kisame carrying her through the woods. Taking her to Konoha. Away from him. She was alone once again. Her mind screamed at her loss. Outwardly she merely frowned a little deeper. Bringing Tsunade's face into focus, she found she didn't really know what to say to her.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"We found you outside the front gate three days ago. How long you were unconscious before then, I don't know. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"No."

"What's the last thing you do remember?"

Kisame's face popped into her mind. His gentle hands cooling her burning skin. He had asked her to protect them. To pretend she had been a hostage the whole time. Pretend that they were real monsters, to keep her safe. She didn't want to do it. She wanted everyone to know what a caring person he really was. But he had asked her to, so she would.

"I was at the Akatsuki base." she said.

"What was happening?" Tsunade asked firmly.

"I don't really remember. There were people talking, then I was in a lot of pain."

"Somehow, you were poisoned with coated senbon. There were five deep puncture wounds in your abdomen. You were nearly dead when we got to you. Sakura and I spent nearly twelve hours keeping you alive and drawing out the poison. Hinata, did the Akatsuki do this? Did they torture you?" she asked, placing her hand gently on Hinata's shoulder. A single tear slid down her cheek as she nodded. She hated this.

"Okay. No more questions for now. You need to rest. Are you hungry?"

Hinata nodded again. When Tsunade left to get her some breakfast, she turned her head to gaze out the window, blankly studying the rooftops of Konoha. The place that not so very long ago was her home. Now it just seemed cold and empty, despite the sunshine and cheerful faces. Her home was a pair of strong warm arms and a deep, enticing voice.

Tsunade reentered the room carrying a tray. She set it down beside Hinata and gave her an obligatory smile. "Your teammates are here. Would you like to see them?"

Hinata smiled softly. Shino and Kiba. The two people she cared the most about other than Kisame. She was actually a little nervous to see them. Would they be able to see through her lies? Would they understand if they did? Would they be able to accept the changes she had made in her life, or would they think her a shallow traitor?

With all these questions swirling in her mind, Hinata didn't notice that Tsunade had slipped out of the room. Taking her smile for a yes, she called the boys over and ushered them into Hinata's room. Kiba and Akamaru bounded in first, followed quietly by Shino.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Kiba greeted her.

"Hello Kiba-kun, Shino-kun." Hinata said smiling. For a moment the black abyss of despair was pushed back, and she realized just how much she missed her boys.

"Hello, Hinata-chan." came Shino's voice, muffled by his jacket.

Akamaru placed his huge front paws on the bed and stuck his wet nose in Hinata's palm. She was just about to reach up to scratch behind his ears when he started growling softly. Jumping down, he started frantically sniffing around the room, searching every corner carefully. Kiba watched his dog for a moment, then turned back to Hinata. Leaning very close to her face, his warm brown eyes searched her pale ones.

"Are you feeling okay, Hinata-chan?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Kiba-kun." Hinata replied.

"Great. I'm just going to run over to the cafeteria and get some juice. We've been waiting for hours and I'm dying of thirst. Do you want any?" Kiba asked quickly.

"No, I'm fine, but thank you." Hinata replied.

Turning, Kiba called Akamaru to him and headed out the door of Hinata's room. His face darkened as he made his way into the hallway. Primal rage filled him until his eyes glowed and his cheeks burned. That bastard. That soulless bastard. How dare he touch Hinata! Reaching back, he punched the wall as hard as he could. It echoed loudly in the near empty hallway.

Slumping down to sit in the floor, Kiba brought his knees up and rested his arms on them. Akamaru sat beside him, whining softly. He wasn't sure at first, but when Akamaru started growling and Kiba leaned in close to Hinata, he could smell it. Hoshigaki Kisame's scent was all over her. His lips drew back in a snarl and a low growl emerged from his throat. It was one thing to abduct someone, but to force a woman against her will was unforgivable. Kiba's eyes glowed savagely in the harsh light. He prayed to meet up with the shark ninja one day soon. He would rip him to shreds.

Back in the room, Hinata and Shino stared at each other for a long while, at a loss for what to say. Hinata found herself in her old habit of fidgeting. A blush pinkened her cheeks and she stared at her knees, covered by a thin white sheet.

"He didn't offer to get me any juice." Shino said quietly.

Hinata glanced over at her teammate. Yeah, that was Shino alright. Sulky as ever. She gave him a small smile. "I'm sure he didn't mean to forget you, Shino-kun. If you are thirsty, you can have mine."

"Hinata?" Shino started, leaning forward.

"Yeah?"

"You aren't stuttering." he stated.

Hinata looked away, out the window. A hint of sadness crossed her face before she turned back to him. "No. I suppose I'm not."

Shino said nothing more, simply watched her as she picked up her tray and started eating her breakfast. Kiba came in a few minutes later, a smile on his face and two bottles of juice in his hand. Passing one to Shino, he opened the other and forced himself to drink it. They talked a few minutes more until Hinata said she was tired and wanted to sleep. Saying quick goodbyes, they left her alone. Sliding down onto her pillow, Hinata sighed, closing her eyes. She fell asleep wishing for Kisame's steady heartbeat next to her ear and the warmth of his body heat to chase the chill of the room away.

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The moonlight flooded down from the heavens, fading the brightness of the stars and casting deep shadows over Konoha. On the rooftop next to the hospital, a darker shadow lurked, silently watching a particular window across the street. The curtains were open and raven black hair could be seen contrasting with the whiteness of the pillow. An innocent face with long dark lashes rolled on the bed toward the window, as if drawn by the moon's magnetism.

Kisame sighed. He dare not go any closer. He had watched the ANBU patrols around the hospital and the cameras being set up to monitor Hinata's movements. They didn't trust her. A smirked crossed his thin lips. The Hokage was a smart woman. But his Hummingbird was smarter. If only he could say goodbye to her. But that luxury was denied him.

His heart screamed at him to infiltrate the hospital, abduct her yet again and take her home with him. But his head refused to listen. She would be safe here. She would be forced to stay in the village for quite awhile. First to heal, then to make sure she was still loyal to the village. Then maybe she'd be allowed a couple of lower ranking missions.

After that things would be back to normal. Except that if she ever ran into the Akatsuki again, she would be completely safe. Heaven help anyone she was with. It was folly, but a small part of him hoped that eventually they would be back together again. Pushing down useless hope, he stood and glancing at Hinata one last time, he took off, leaving Konoha far behind him. A vicious smile crossed his lips, echoed by his aching heart. He had a certain red headed ninja to deal with when he got back.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Hinata stood in Tsunade's office, waiting patiently. It had been three days since she had awakened in her hospital room. She was still a little sore, but her injuries were healing well, and she was discharged this morning. Kiba and Shino had visited her every day. Her father and Hanabi had come as well, and yesterday morning, the news she had been expecting had been delivered.

"I had a chance to review your exam results, and it would seem that you are no longer a virgin. Is this correct?" Hiashi asked sternly and without reserve.

Hinata had looked at Hiashi in shock. As clan head and her father, he had access to her records, but he hadn't even asked how it happened or if it was voluntary. Not that she really wanted to talk to him about it. But Hiashi was her father. His utter lack of sensitivity for his eldest daughter's feelings on the matter was a testament to how callous he had become when it came to Hinata. Turning her head away, she nodded. Hanabi looked at her with pity shining in her pale eyes.

"I have discussed this with the elders of the clan and we have agreed that since your purity can no longer be guaranteed, we shall revoke your title of heiress and pass it along to Hanabi. Everything else shall remain the same until Tsunade has had a chance to question you about your activities while you were away. Any further action will be based on her findings. Your room at the compound is ready and waiting for you when you are released." he said stiffly.

Hinata just stared at her hands. Inwardly she was relieved. She was no longer the heiress. That meant she didn't have to be a perfect example for the clan anymore. She could marry whoever she wanted to instead of being stuck in an arranged marriage. Her father might try to marry her off anyway, but it would be a lot easier to convince him not to if he was busy dealing with Hanabi's life instead of hers.

Glancing up, she caught her father watching her, trying to gauge her reaction. Did he think she would be upset over his threat of punishment? It might have worked before, but not now. She didn't care what they did to her, as long as Kisame was protected. She would endure anything for him. Making her face as impassive as possible, she met his gaze levelly. "Thank you, father. I'd like to rest now, if you don't mind."

Hiashi nodded, turned and left the room. Hanabi gently squeezed her sister's hand before turning to follow her father. When she was alone with her thoughts, Hinata turned and stared out the window. A sharp ache went through her. There was only one person she wanted to be with. One man who could truly make her happy again. A tear slid down her cheek as she clamped her mouth shut to keep from screaming his name.

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The door crashed open behind her, making Hinata jump and pulling her thoughts back to the present. Turning around, she watched as Tsunade, Ibiki and Kurenai filed into the room. Tsunade sat behind her desk, Ibiki at her side. Kurenai pulled a chair up for Hinata, and after she had sat down, stood beside her former student. Tsunade laced her fingers together on the desk before she looked Hinata dead in the eyes and spoke.

"Hyuuga Hinata, this meeting is the official investigation into the events occurring during your mission to Iwagakure and the subsequent capture of yourself and the Iwa ninja, Kisho. This is Ibiki," she said, gesturing to the man beside her "head of interrogation in Konoha. He will be directing the questions to you. Do you have anything to say before we begin?"

She stared at the man standing beside Tsunade. The infamous Ibiki. The rumors of his interrogation methods led him to be feared among friend and foe alike. It was said that there was no truth he couldn't uncover. It was true that his piercing eyes and visible scars would have scared her before. But now, he was a kitten compared to Pein, Zetsu, and Kakuzu.

"No." Hinata replied. She glanced up at Kurenai, who gave her a reassuring smile.

"Fine. Let's start when you first made contact with the Akatsuki. Tell us everything that happened." Ibiki said.

'_Let them continue to believe I'm the monster they think I am.'_ Kisame's voice echoed in her head. Hinata frowned, remembering the first time she had seen Kisame's handiwork. "Umm, I was a couple of days out of Konoha when I came upon a river bank. There were three bodies and blood everywhere. After a close examination, I realized that they were ninja. And they had been slaughtered. It was done so gruesomely that I was sick. That's when I first realized I might be in trouble."

"Kakashi's report confirms as much. Go on." Tsunade interjected, looking a little pale.

Kakashi had been there? That means that they had sent a team out to search for her. She would have to stick as close to the truth as possible without giving them anything important. "I hurried to Iwa as fast as I could. I had made it to the outskirts of the village and was thinking of a way to get inside when I accidentally bumped into Hoshigaki Kisame. He took me by surprise, and before I could react, he drained my chakra and captured me."

"I see. Did he say anything to you at this point?" Ibiki asked.

"I'm not sure. I passed out after he drained my chakra." Hinata replied.

"You passed out?" Ibiki asked with a frown.

"It happens frequently with Hinata. Sudden, close interactions with people seem to be the trigger for it." Kurenai said, defending her.

"Okay." Ibiki said, accepting her reasoning as if it didn't matter in the least. "What happened when you regained consciousness?"

"I was in a cave. After discovering who I was with and that my mission was compromised, I tried to escape. Hoshigaki overpowered me. He took my sandals so I wouldn't be able to run far on the rocky terrain and threatened to kill me if I tried to escape again." Hinata fought a blush away as she remembered the first time Kisame's arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. She had been terrified at the time, but she cherished the memory now.

"How was your mission compromised?" Tsunade asked her.

"He went through my bags and found the scroll. When he asked me why I was there alone and I refused to tell him, he told me as much." Hinata replied.

"What happened after that?" Ibiki asked impassively.

"The next day he said that Akatsuki wanted Kisho also and he had a plan to get him out of Iwa. He didn't tell me what the plan was, but he forced me to go to a neighboring village and bought a kimono. Again he threatened to kill me if I didn't cooperate."

"Why didn't you fight him?" Ibiki asked.

"My chakra still had not replenished itself and I thought that if I pretended to help him, I could get Kisho out of Iwa easier and we could defeat Kisame and escape to Konoha together. Also, he is much stronger than I am. I would not have been able to defeat him alone."

"Go on. What happened next?"

"The following day, we infiltrated Iwa. We hired Kisho under the guise that he would be taking care of some local bandits in Waterfall Country. It seemed to be successful, until we were about a mile out of the village. When Kisame noticed that we had been discovered, Kisho was knocked unconscious, and we tried to run. The Iwa ANBU caught up with us and we were attacked." Hinata replied.

"Why did you fight with him? Why didn't you run away while he was busy?" Ibiki asked.

"One of the ANBU used a jutsu that surrounded us with large stones. There was nowhere to run to. And the ANBU were going to kill me just for being there. I had to defend myself."

"Hinata, the ambassador from Iwa was here and had one of the ANBU you fought with him. They claimed that there seemed to be some kind of relationship between you and Hoshigaki. Up until this point, had he physically assaulted you?" Tsunade asked softly, a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

Hinata's eyes widened momentarily before she hung her head. So Tsunade had told the others she wasn't a virgin anymore. And they all thought Kisame had raped her. Her face turned red and she opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself as Kisame's deep voice whispered in her head again. _'And whatever you do, don't defend me.'_ He had known what they would think. And he wanted them to believe it. To protect her.

"Yeah." she nearly whispered, staring at the floor. Inwardly, her mind was raging. _'Yeah, he kissed me. And it was wonderful. He kept me warm and protected me from Kisho and everyone else. He's the most amazing person I've ever met. I'm dying without him! I just want him back!' _Her breathing became ragged as her heart felt like it was going to burst. She wanted to cry. She wanted to run. Run back to Hidden Rain and crawl into Kisame's bed and snuggle against his warm chest and listen to his hypnotic breathing.

Kurenai placed a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder. She glanced up at her sensei and gave her a weak smile. She appreciated the gesture, even if her former teacher misinterpreted why she was so upset. If only they would understand. She desperately needed someone to talk to, to cry on. But there was no one. Village loyalties just ran too deep.

The questions went on for nearly an hour. The longer it went, the more withdrawn Hinata became, until Tsunade called it to a halt. Hinata inwardly sighed with relief. They seemed satisfied with her answers. Tsunade dismissed her, telling her that she was on medical leave until further notice. She was restricted to the village, but other than that, she was free to do as she liked.

Hinata left the Hokage Tower and made her way towards her father's compound. But when she reached the bridge, she walked to the middle and stopped at the edge. Peering over the side, she absently watched the water run beneath her. It's steady sound helped to soothe her tired mind. With a small smile she wondered what Kisame was doing, and if he was thinking of her as well.

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Pein reached back and punched Kisame in the face. His head snapped to the side. Slowly, he turned his face back to his leader, and sneered at him. Wrapped tightly in Kakuzu's threads, he stood in Pein's office, facing down the leader of the Akatsuki. "I ought to kill you. If you weren't such a capable ninja, I would. Such carelessness is a danger to all of us. What were you thinking?" Pein asked, his voice more angry than Kisame had ever heard it.

"She was dying. Taking her back to Konoha was the only way to save her." he said flatly.

"Save her? If they know she willingly helped us, they'll kill her after wringing everything she knows about us out of her. What's to stop her from giving us up to try and save her own neck?"

"She won't." Kisame replied.

"You don't know that. People can do anything under enough pressure." Pein said, glaring.

For the first time since he had left Hinata in Konoha, Kisame's eyes held an expression besides the flat dull stare of defeat. Anger gleamed hotly now and his hands nearly shook with the effort to contain himself. "It surprises me that you would turn on her so easily. If Konoha happens to be able to force information out of her, then I will stay and fight them alone so everyone else can escape. Does that satisfy you?" he asked quietly, words edged with menace.

"Fine. If you want to die for her, that is your business. But if this incident interferes with the progress of our plans, Konoha will be the least of your worries." he said with a nod to Kakuzu. Kakuzu released Kisame from his threads and stepped back. "Now get out of my sight until I have a mission for you."

Turning, Kisame stalked out of Pein's office after shooting Kakuzu a murderous glare. The look was returned with a cool stare. Coming down the stairs, he reached the second level just in time to see Zetsu and Kisho enter the hallway and head his way. Kisho noticed him first and paled visibly. Before he had time to react, Kisame had reached him, slamming him up against the wall, with one massive hand wrapped around his throat.

Coughing under the pressure on his neck, Kisho gave a panicked look to Zetsu. The plant ninja just shrugged, content to stand by, an ambivalent expression on his face. Glancing up into Kisame's face, he cringed at the utter hatred in his intense gaze. He attempted to struggle free of his grasp, but Kisame held him fast.

"Kisho." The shark ninja growled. "How could you let Hinata get injured? What the hell happened?"

Kisho ceased struggling and hung his head. Swallowing hard so he could speak, he stared at the floor as he spoke. "We were attacked by a puppetmaster. A rogue ninja from Suna. Hinata was injured saving my life."

"Where is the puppetmaster at now?"

"Dead. I killed him afterward." Kisho croaked out.

Kisame loosened his grip on Kisho's neck. He was still angry, his thirst for revenge unslaked. But at least the bastard that hurt Hinata was rotting in Hell. "Good. You're lucky both of us made it in time to save her. Otherwise, you'd be drawing your last breath right now. Just remember, if she dies, you die." he spat out before releasing Kisho. Kisho stood and started rubbing his neck an instant before Kisame drew back and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious. Kisho slid down the wall and landed in a heap on the floor.

Pushing past a still silent Zetsu, Kisame walked into his room, slamming the door behind him. Mismatched yellow eyes followed his progress. "That was certainly interesting." his light side stated. **"I'm hungry. Let's go eat."** the dark side commanded, as Zetsu watched a thin trickle of blood run down Kisho's nose. "You're right. We can't work on our mission until Kisho wakes up. Let's go." Zetsu walked down the hallway, leaving a groaning Kisho in the floor, wearily putting his aching head in his hands as he regained awareness.

Kisame grabbed a bottle of sake from the dresser before slumping into his chair by the window. Staring out at the falling rain, he took a long swig and relished the burning sensation as the warm liquid made its way to his stomach. Absently studying the drops making their way down the window, his thoughts turned toward the sunny south.

He wondered how Hinata was doing. If she was happy or sad or angry. An image of her innocent face as she slept popped into his mind. At least she was safe. Just knowing that she would be protected made the pain in his soul a little more bearable. 'If you love them, let them go.' That was how the old saying went. Taking another long drink, he set the bottle on the floor beside him. A pained smile crossed his hard features. At least he got to have his Hummingbird for a little while, which was far more than he deserved.

Glancing over his room, he spotted her cloak and forehead protector, lying where they had fallen. Pulling himself out of his chair, he walked over and reverently picked them up. Closing his eyes, he buried his face in her cloak, inhaling her faint scent. Sighing, he drew back, and quietly folded it, placing it neatly in the top drawer of his dresser. He removed his own and carelessly tossed it in a corner.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gazed down at the scrap of metal and cloth in his hand. Such a tiny thing, yet so important to every ninja. He ran a finger across the light gash in the symbol of the leaf. She had been willing to give it all up, for him. But fate had laughed at their love, and put her back where she belonged. Gripping the metal in his hand tightly, Kisame lay back in his bed, rolling over onto his stomach. His shoulders lightly shook as he ignored the increasing dampness of his pillow. After a long while he was still as the sake kicked in and he slept.

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Hinata gazed around her bedroom. It was exactly the same way she left it. Wandering around like a stranger, she brushed her fingers over all her familiar things. Her jewelry box, stuffed fox, a couple of romance novels, none of it brought her any comfort. Mahogany furniture, purple bedspread and curtains, white carpet, it was like being in someone else's room. These were not her things. And there were roses on her dresser. Roses.

Grabbing the flowers, vase and all, she tossed them in the trash and stalked out of her room. She didn't speak to anyone in the compound as she worked the maze of hallways to the front gate. She even passed by Neji without a word. He opened his mouth to greet her, but when she brushed passed him without even a glance, he stood there in silence, pale eyes wide, mouth still hanging open.

Ino was gently watering her parents' prized orchids when she heard the bell for the front of the shop ring. Straightening up, she looked to see who had come in. Hinata was standing there, panting as if she had ran the whole way there. She didn't have her jacket on, only a dark blue tank and pants. Smiling broadly, Ino made her way over to her friend.

"Hinata-chan! I didn't know you were out of the hospital yet. How are you feeling?" Ino asked.

"I'm fine, Ino-chan. How are you?" Hinata replied.

"Oh, you know. I guess I'm doing good. What brings you by?"

"I need some lilacs." she said, a slight hint of desperation in her voice.

Ino put a perfectly manicured finger up to her chin, deep in thought. "I think we have some in the back. How many do you want?"

"How many do you have?"

Ino shook her head in bewilderment as twenty minutes later, Hinata quickly left the shop with two of their largest vases crammed full with as many lilacs as they would hold. She also left an order for a fresh supply to be delivered to her at the compound every week. A pretty frown crossed her lips as she thought about the encounter. Hinata was acting a lot bolder since she'd returned. And the whole time she was talking to her, she never even stuttered once. Whatever had happened to her while she was gone had definitely changed her once shy friend.

Dusk was settling as Hinata made her way back toward the compound, flowers in hand. She was walking slowly, in no hurry to get back to everyone's suspicious and disapproving looks. Since her 'capture' by the Akatsuki, not a single member of her household trusted her or acted friendly around her. It was more like she was a begrudging obligation they had to deal with. She was seriously considering moving into an apartment in the middle of town. Family tradition be damned.

A bright light flashed in the corner of her eye. Turning her head to see what it was, she saw lights coming on in a little shop on the corner. Music started playing from inside and shortly she could hear a steady hum emanate from within. Stepping closer, she examined the wares displayed in the brightly lit window.

An idea took hold of her brain as she stood there, and she smiled. The first real, honest smile since she'd been back. Her family would have forbidden her from even setting foot in the door. Her friends would think she had gone completely insane. Hidan on the other hand, would call her an 'awesome crazy bitch' and grin. And Kisame... Kisame would smirk, ask her if that's really what she wanted and let her do it anyway.

Stepping inside the shop, flowers and all, she was greeted by the owner of the store, who gave her a wicked grin. "Hey lady, what can I do for you today?" Hinata grinned back, a defiant gleam in her eye, and explained to the guy just what she wanted.

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Tsunade yawned loudly and turned to look out her office window. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. Frowning, she turned back to her desk. She really hated mornings. A headache was plaguing her from the night before and she hadn't had any tea yet. The ever growing stack of papers was still on her desk. She gave it a wilting glare. It just couldn't take a hint.

Shizune walked in moments later, Tonton in one arm, a scroll in the other. Approaching the desk, she gave Tsunade a smile and handed it over. "Here's the ANBU report on Hinata's activities from yesterday." she said.

Accepting the scroll, Tsunade gave Shizune an 'I-don't-want-to-be-bothered-today' glare and opened it. She skimmed over the summary at the top and started reading the details. After her meeting at the Hokage Tower, she went home, only to venture out again minutes later. Seemingly agitated, she went to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She left a half an hour later with two vases of lilacs and... Tsunade raised a brow in surprise. She went where?

With a small smirk on her face, Tsunade set the scroll down. She formed a few hand seals and the scroll disappeared in a puff of smoke. That was one little secret her father didn't need to know about. And since it was harmless, Tsunade would keep it for her.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The harsh clang of metal rang out in the still air. Then another. Several shouts were heard as four ninja fended off the attacks of one tall, black cloaked figure. A massive, half-wrapped sword whistled through the air, forcing them back. Before they had time to regroup and counter, he attacked. The sickening sound of bones cracking followed by pained screams from two of the ninja echoed across the terrain.

Falling back, the remaining two ninja faced off against their deadly opponent. One rushed forward, only to be met with a wall of chakra so strong, it drove him to his knees. It was over in a matter of seconds as the serrated sword was drawn harshly across his neck. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating both the dying ninja and his attacker.

"Wait!" the remaining ninja cried out, dropping his katana. A sharp toothed smirk was the only answer he received as searing pain enveloped his body. Looking down, he watched in horror as his stomach was ripped open, its contents spilling his life out onto the ground. Looking up into the face of death, blazing yellow eyes met terrified ones an instant before everything went black.

A feral growl escaped from Kisame's lips as he brought Samehada down on the body of the slain ninja in front of him. His blood was racing as primal rage consumed him. More. More blood. More death. It was never enough. It would never be enough to fill the void where a man once resided and a demon now ruled supreme. The smell of shed blood only drove him further into his frenzy as he mindlessly attacked again.

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The cold November wind ruffled Itachi's hair as he walked over to his partner. Kisame was standing a couple of yards away, methodically wiping the blood off of Samehada's multiple blades. As he passed the bodies of the enemy ninja littering the ground, he noted that what remained of them had suffered more damage than he had ever seen Kisame deal before. Even describing them as 'bodies' was being kind. They were more like piles of gore and blood.

Coming to stand beside the shark ninja, Itachi gave him an irritated look. "You were supposed to save at least one for questioning." he said impassively.

Kisame never even looked up. He simply shrugged his massive shoulders and continued his task. Itachi frowned. There was no sarcastic comment, no smirk, nothing. It was as if his partner had had all of the emotion sucked out of him, leaving nothing but a hollow body that went through the mechanics of daily routine without thought. The only time life seemed to spark within him was when he fought. And then it wasn't a pretty sight. Where he had been bloodthirsty before, now he was just utterly destructive. He no longer lived for the battle, but for the kill.

Finished with his chore, Kisame wrapped Samehada in its linen bandages. After he had strapped the giant sword to his back, he turned and looked at his red-eyed partner, waiting on a decision on what to do next. Itachi turned away from him and headed toward the east. Kisame's flat, cold eyes and grim expression were a little unsettling. "Our mission is complete. Let's report to Leader-sama." he said.

Kisame just nodded and followed him silently. As they walked, Itachi contemplated the changes in his partner's behavior. He knew what was causing it. It was Hinata. She had been back in Konoha for nearly three months now. And over that period of time, he had watched Kisame withdraw further and further into a silent depression. Losing her had nearly killed his spirit.

The other Akatsuki members had noticed as well. Deidara and Tobi, agreeing for once, encouraged him to go bring her back. Kisame had simply glared at them and told them in not so many words that she was safer where she was at and they could take their concern and go to hell. Hidan had made the mistake of teasing him. He had called him a 'pussy whipped Konoha fucker'. Needless to say, by the time Kisame was finished with him, Kakuzu had his hands full putting his mouthy partner back together again.

Zetsu and Konan hadn't had a lot to say on the matter, and Pein only said that as long as he continued to complete his missions and held up his end of the bargain, Kisame's personal issues weren't his problem. Kisho was back to his old, moody self again. A glare was the reward for anyone other than Zetsu who tried to talk to him. He also avoided Kisame as much as possible. Itachi tried to give Kisame as much space as he needed, but now his behavior was starting to affect his performance on missions. If he didn't snap out of it soon, something drastic would have to be done.

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Hinata stood on the training grounds, kunai in hand, waiting patiently. Kiba and Shino were conducting a stealth training. They were supposed to be sneaking up on her. It might have worked before, but since her training with the Akatsuki, she could sense them coming a mile away, even without her Byakugan. Itachi had helped her hone her chakra sensitivity, and she could track both her teammates now with ease. Even the ANBU watching her from a distance weren't hidden from her. She let her hair hang in her face as a frown crossed her lips.

Her situation was beginning to frustrate her to no end. She wished she could train at her level again. But she had to try her best to hide the new gap in her power from everyone else. If they knew how much she had improved, they would be suspicious of her, more than they already were. And maybe Kisame had instilled a little rebellious streak in her, because having her every move monitored was becoming quite irritating. She just wanted to scream at them, but she couldn't. She wasn't supposed to know they were there.

Thinking of Kisame brought a familiar ache to her empty heart once again. Kami, how she missed him. If she hadn't known the ANBU keeping an eye on her would follow her straight to them, she would have returned to Hidden Rain as soon as she had left the hospital. But she would rather die than put him in danger. He had unerringly protected her. Now it was her turn.

A pained smile replaced the frown on her face as his image filled her head. Reliving memories of Kisame was the only time she felt alive anymore, the rest of her life seemed like it belonged to a shadow of herself. She just went through the motions of life, while her heart stayed locked safely away, waiting on the day she could open herself back up for him. She didn't want it to be this way. She wished she could be herself around her friends and family. But they would never accept her and she couldn't change back for them. Her experiences with Kisame and the Akatsuki just ran too deep for that.

Kiba and Akamaru had finally made their way to where they were supposed to ambush her. Shino was coming upon his mark fast as well. Tamping down on her chakra, Hinata stood motionless, never giving away that she knew exactly where they were. Metal rang against metal as she deflected the first shuriken tossed at her. Ducking low, she dodged two more. A fourth whistled by her head as she came back up and stuck in the tree behind her.

Jumping quickly into the nearest tree branch, she waited and watched. She couldn't resist showing them up a little, and had used all her speed to hide from them. She masked her chakra as Akamaru made his way into the clearing a few minutes later, nose to the ground. He sniffed the trees and vegetation, looking for any trace of her scent. Since she had made sure to jump straight up to the branch she was on, she left no smell for him to find.

Turning, Akamaru whined at the bushes he had emerged from. A slight rustling sound was heard, and Kiba joined his canine companion a moment later. Patting the dog lightly on the head, Kiba raised his nose and sniffed around. A puzzled look crossed his face and he tried again. Evidently finding nothing as well, he looked over his shoulder at a nearby tree.

"Come on, Shino. See if you can find her with your bugs. She's got to be here somewhere." he said.

Shino stepped out from behind said tree and walked over to Kiba. A gleam shone in pale lavender eyes. Just a few more steps and the tables would be turned. Hinata pulled out another kunai as Shino took another step closer. They were almost underneath her now. Shino raised his arms and started releasing his tracking bugs. Then he made the unknowing mistake of taking that last step. Dropping down behind them, Hinata held a kunai to each of their necks. "I win." she said solemnly. Both boys jumped and Kiba slowly turned his head to look at her in amazement.

"Wow, Hinata! You really got us. How did you do that?" he asked.

Hinata didn't answer him, just replaced her weapons in their pouch and stepped back. Kiba was smiling at her. "Wanna go again?" he asked.

"No thanks, Kiba-kun. I need to get home now. It'll be dark soon." she said, watching the horizon begin to change hues as the sun sunk lower. Turning with a wave, she slowly walked off the training grounds and headed toward the small apartment she now called home. Kiba and Shino watched her leave before turning and looking at each other.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Kiba asked his teammate.

"I'm not sure." answered Shino. "She has been acting quite strange ever since she was returned by the Akatsuki. It might be the lingering effects of trauma."

"I don't think that's it." Kiba argued. "She hasn't smiled much at all since she's been back. And she's always daydreaming about something. It's almost like she doesn't even want to be here. And the way she just took us by surprise is almost scary. She never could do that before." he said, voice thick with concern. Shino only grunted in response. He was already deep in thought, analyzing the recent behavior of Team 8's kunoichi.

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Itachi headed out of his room and down the hallway. It was dark, well past time for everyone who didn't have nocturnal tendencies to be asleep. His head was throbbing, forcing him to deactivate his Sharingan. Figuring a hot shower would help some, he headed toward the bathroom. He was almost there when a solid shape to his left caught his attention. From the outline, he could tell it was Kisame. He was slumped down in the floor in front of Hinata's bedroom door.

Activating his bloodline limit, Itachi warily made his way over to the shark ninja. Kneeling down in front of him in the darkened hallway, he gently shook his shoulder. Nothing happened. Getting concerned, Itachi checked his pulse and breathing. He seemed to be fine. Shifting suddenly, Kisame sunk lower to the floor and let out a loud snore.

Itachi frowned in irritation as the intense smell of sake assaulted his nose. He was drunk. Rising to his feet, Itachi shook his head at his partner. They had a mission in a couple of days, and if he kept this up, he would be too hung over to be of any help. Then Pein would have a problem and Kisame would be left to deal with the consequences. If only Kisame could get over Hinata already. That would make things so much easier.

"Useless." he said coldly to the unhearing Kisame before turning away and heading into the bathroom.

When Itachi emerged a half hour later, nothing had changed. Kisame was still in the same position, snoring loudly. Itachi had started to walk past him and go back to his room when something shiny flashed in the corner of his eye. His partner had something fisted in his right hand. Curiosity taking hold of him, he walked over to him and squatted down. Tugging gently, he pulled the metallic object out of his grasp. Standing again, he examined it. An thin eyebrow raised in surprise. "Interesting." was all he said.

Suddenly making his mind up, Itachi closed his fist and walked to the next door over. The time for waiting was over. Knocking loudly, he continued until he heard movement before stepping back. The door was pulled open and Kisho stood in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his golden eyes and glaring at the intruder.

It only took him a moment to register who exactly was standing there. Eyes wide, he stepped back defensively. "Itachi-sama." he said, voice edged with fear. "What do you want?"

"Kisho." came the cold reply. "Get dressed. We're going."

"Going where?"

Itachi raised his hand, dangling the borrowed object in front of Kisho's face. A small smile came to his lips when emotion started playing across the redhead's face as he realized exactly what was before him. "We're going to retrieve your partner."

Nodding once, Kisho stepped back and closed his door to change. Itachi leaned against the wall, hands folded in front of him. While he pondered a good strategy for getting Hinata safely back, an idea came to him. Straightening, he walked to the room across the hallway and knocked several times. It wasn't long before another ninja was glaring sleepily at him, this one blonde.

"Itachi-kun." began Deidara, running his hand through his sleep mussed hair. "Do you know what time it is? What do you want, yeah?"

"Deidara-san. I have a special commission for you."

Deidara's face brightened considerably at the mention of his art. Sleep could apparently wait. "Really? Well, let's hear it then."

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Kisho paced around his room several times before stopping to glance at his closed bedroom door. He tried to quell the trembling that took hold of his body. He had finished dressing five minutes ago, but he still hadn't summoned the courage to step out into the hallway. The one person that he hated and feared the most was waiting on the other side. And he would be alone with him for several days in the middle of nowhere.

_'Do it for Hinata.'_ he reminded himself. She had saved his life after all, and now he had the opportunity to return the favor. But what if he screwed up? If they went to Konoha and failed to retrieve her, then her cover story would be blown and she would be in a lot of trouble. She would be imprisoned, and possibly killed. And if that happened, he had a feeling that he wouldn't live long enough to regret it.

But Itachi needed his help. He would never be able to infiltrate Konoha, get Hinata and leave again undetected. And Hinata would need a quick way to get away from any type of pursuit. He figured that was why Itachi wanted him to come along in the first place. His stone lion jutsu had proven itself as a reliable and quick method of travel. At least he wouldn't be useless on this trip. Steeling his shaky nerves, he pulled open his door and stepped into the hall. They _would_ succeed. He wouldn't be a pointless burden, he vowed, not like last time.

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Hinata rubbed her sleepy eyes as she rolled over on her bed. She groaned inwardly as the silence of the darkened room reminded her that she was alone yet again. Glancing at the clock, she sighed. It was only three in the morning. She never could sleep well anymore. Once you got used to having someone sleep in the same bed with you, it was hard to go solo again. Absently running her palm over the cold pillow beside her, she wished for the millionth time that Kisame was with her.

But he wasn't. Ignoring the fresh pain in her heart, Hinata rolled on the bed until she was sitting up. Suddenly she couldn't breathe well. The room was hot and stuffy. The weather had warmed considerably over the past couple of days, a late reminder of summer before winter set in. Walking over to the window, she slid it open and peered outside.

It was just as oppressive as the interior of her room. There were no noises to be heard anywhere. The air was heavy and not even a slight breeze stirred to relieve her. The whole village seemed to be asleep, except for her. Even the ANBU stationed several houses away were still, the lull of the pre-dawn hours upon them. Hinata turned away from the open window and started toward her bed when a soft rustling noise shattered the stillness and halted her in her tracks.

Turning back to her window, her pale eyes widened in surprise at the scene that greeted her. Sitting on her window ledge was a tiny clay hummingbird. Hinata smiled. It was obviously one of Deidara's. Every tiny detail was perfect. It hopped in a lively circle on the sill, then stopped to look at her with its sightless eyes. That was when Hinata noticed the gleam of silver protruding from its mouth.

Edging closer, Hinata leaned forward and held out her hand. The clay bird flapped it's tiny wings excitedly before jumping into her proffered palm. Opening its beak, the hummingbird dropped a necklace into her hand before taking off again out the window. Holding her breath, Hinata hurried over to her nightstand and flipped on her lamp. She had to sit down quickly on the bed as a tear rolled down her cheek when she saw what lay in her palm.

Picking the necklace up, almost reverently, she examined it. It had a delicate chain of platinum. The pendant was a crystal shaped into a perfectly smooth water droplet. Inside was another hummingbird, carved in obsidian. It was highly detailed, with wings spread out behind it, and she could see that each feather had been worked to perfection. It had two small amethysts for eyes. A lump formed in her throat. This must be the present Kisame had talked about before she went on her mission. The fact that it was here along with one of Deidara's birds could only mean one thing. They had finally come back for her.

Placing it gently around her neck, Hinata stood just as an explosion sounded out across the village. Trying to contain the excitement welling up inside her, Hinata ran through her apartment, still in her pajamas, and out her front door. She made it to the street just in time to see a stone lion go bounding past her. The ground was rumbling slightly and a terrified scream sounded just out of her sight. So Kisho was here too.

She could pick up his familiar chakra signature halfway across the village. Bright orange lit up the night sky as flames erupted close to the Hokage monument. More screams reached her ears as the once still night fell pray to chaos. The sound of running feet closed in on her as an ANBU raced by her, stopping only long enough to give her a hurried warning. "The Hokage Tower has been bombed! All ninja are to report there immediately! Konoha is under attack!"

Hinata stood frozen to the spot. What should she do? It was obvious that the Akatsuki were involved. Should she help Konoha or stand by and watch? Loyalties torn, she nervously began fidgeting with her fingers as she tried desperately to make up her mind. Her decision was suddenly made for her as she felt the slight flare of a familiar chakra. It stopped just behind her. Turning around, she came face to face with the glowing red eyes of the Sharingan.

"I-itach-san." she said almost breathlessly. Framed against the darkness of the night, he looked every inch the merciless killer he was reputed to be. She gazed up at him as he stepped closer, towering over her shorter form. Then a smile broke out on her face when he smirked at her.

"Hyuuga Hinata." He said formally, but she could easily detect the hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm here to kidnap you."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

A scream rent the air, jolting Kiba awake. Unsure of what had disturbed his sleep, he looked around his quiet room in confusion. A soft growl came from the doorway. Sitting up, he located Akamaru, who was standing in front of the closed door, hackles raised and teeth bared. On alert now, Kiba slid silently out of bed, pulling a kunai out from under his mattress. Stealthily making his way to his dog, he lay a comforting hand on Akamaru's head.

"What's the matter boy?" he asked softly.

Suddenly a loud boom was heard somewhere close by in the village. Turning in surprise, Kiba glanced out the window of his bedroom. He could see the blurry images of several ninjas as they raced toward the source of the explosion. Then another scream was heard, followed by shouting. Reacting quickly, Kiba ran for his door. Throwing it open, he tore out of his house. He was just about ready to take off down the street, toward the fire he could see blazing from the Hokage Tower when a voice stopped him.

"Konoha is being attacked. All ninja are to report to the Hokage Tower." came Shino's calm, muffled voice. He was dressed in his usual jacket and pants, while Kiba stood in the street, bare chested and in his sleep pants.

"Come on then! Let's meet up with Hinata and head over there together. Her apartment is close by anyway." Kiba said hurriedly.

Nodding, Shino jumped to a nearby roof, followed closely by Kiba and Akamaru. Hinata's apartment was only a few blocks away and they would make it in just a few minutes. They had traveled a little over half the distance when Kiba suddenly stopped. Shino landed beside him and gave his teammate a questioning look. Following his pointing finger, Shino looked down into the street and was greeted by an unusual sight. Running right past them was a lion made of stone.

Kiba gave Shino a worried look. No one he knew of had a jutsu like that. "Let's hurry. That thing was heading toward Hinata's apartment." he said before taking off again. Shino was one step behind him.

Hinata's apartment was in sight when Akamaru abruptly halted. Kiba and Shino had to dodge to keep from hitting the great white dog when they landed. Kiba sniffed the air and Shino watched Akamaru draw his lips up in a silent snarl. Looking at Kiba questioningly, he waited patiently for the dog ninja to tell him what it was.

Kiba turned toward his teammate, a feral gleam in his eye. "It's an Uchiha." he whispered. "And he's right in front of Hinata's door."

Tensing, Shino dropped silently down to the street. Kiba and Akamaru landed just behind him. Keeping to the shadows, they made their way over to the side of Hinata's apartment. Flattening themselves against the wall, they inched their way to the corner of the building. Peering around the side, Kiba couldn't help the small gasp that escaped his lips as he took in the sight before him.

There was Hinata, standing in the street in her pajamas. Behind her stood Uchiha Itachi. Kiba watched, frozen to the spot, as Hinata slowly turned around. She gazed up as the taller ninja stepped up to her. Kiba was just about to jump out to defend his friend when he saw her face brighten and she smiled at Itachi. "I-itach-san." she said to him in an awed voice.

"Hyuuga Hinata, I'm here to kidnap you." the missing ninja said to her. Kiba frowned. He was here for Hinata? That didn't make any sense at all. They had just sent her back to Konoha, and now they wanted her again? Neither did the situation he was witnessing. There was no fear whatsoever coming from Hinata, and even though he looked menacing, the Uchiha wasn't acting threatening in the least. Then Hinata said something that left him dumbfounded, mouth hanging open.

"Itachi-san, umm...is Kisame h-here?" Hinata asked, a blush creeping into her face. Kiba couldn't believe it. She was actually asking about the man who had raped her. She shouldn't want anything to do with him. Unless... Kiba shoved that thought aside. There was no way Hinata would willingly lie about such things.

"No." Itachi answered. "He doesn't know we're here. If you're ready, we need to go now. We have to meet up with the others."

Hinata nodded, and she and Itachi turned to head down the street. Kiba couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was going with him of her own free will. He was about to jump out and stop them when Itachi turned his head and looked directly at him. Kiba tried to close his eyes, but it was too late. His head started spinning and he felt like he was drunk. But he couldn't keep from staring into the mesmerizing red orbs. Then time seemed to stop and everything went silent. The sky turned red and everything else washed out into shades of black and gray.

All of Kiba's instincts were screaming at him to move. He tried, but his body wouldn't respond. Glancing down, he discovered the reason why. His hands and feet were shackled with heavy chains. They were connected with a smaller length of chain, forcing Kiba to remain in a squatting position. He swallowed hard as he felt the resistance of a metal collar around his bare neck. Glancing back up, he glared as Itachi stood before him, a cold look in his blood red eyes.

"Let me go!" Kiba shouted.

Itachi just stared at him, almost as if he were bored with the whole thing. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked in a monotone.

"Screw you, asshole! Where are you going with Hinata?" Kiba shouted.

A wry, yet sadistic grin crossed the Uchiha's face. "Hello, Screw You. I'm Uchiha Itachi. And to answer your question, I'm taking Hinata home."

"This is her home!" he yelled, anger flaring in his brown eyes. Struggling against his chains, Kiba tried to attack Itachi, but the shackles held him fast. "Listen you coward! If you or that shark bastard hurt Hinata, or ever lay a finger on her again, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth and rip you to shreds!" he threatened with a growl.

"Save your breath. I will not care. Your threats mean nothing."

Baring his teeth, Kiba snarled savagely. "Release Hinata now, or I swear I will kill you. Nothing will stop me."

"I will not repeat myself. I think I made it very clear. Hinata belongs to us now. And Kisame would never hurt her. He's in love with her. You need to let her go." Itachi stated matter-of-factly.

"Never! And we're the ones who love her! You monsters don't even understand the concept!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed in anger. Walking right up to Kiba, he looked him straight in the eyes and scoffed. "You, love her? You couldn't hate enough to love." he said in a deadly voice.

Turning around, he walked off without another word. Disappearing on the horizon, he left Kiba to struggle against his chains in the deafening silence. Hours seemed to pass as he worked, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get loose. Just as he was about to give up, his head started spinning again until everything went black.

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Overhead, Deidara cruised lazily over the village on his clay owl. Circling around, he studied the flames spreading out of control in the Hokage Tower. They swirled and jumped, each one engaged in its own destructive dance. He smiled, sweeping his blonde hair out of his eyes as his bird wheeled to make another turn. The explosion had been beautiful. Perfect in its short intensity. Itachi had been right. That hummingbird had packed quite a punch. He just might have to use the same design again sometime.

Scanning the buildings below, he had to clench his fists to stay in control of himself. So many targets down there, just begging him to work his art on them. But he had to refrain. He was just supposed to be a distraction, keeping the ninja occupied at the tower until Itachi got Hinata and made it to Kisho. Swooping lower, he occupied himself by dropping concussion bombs on the ninjas working to put the fire out. Nothing that would kill them, but enough to keep them busy dodging him as they got water to the enflamed building.

Using his scope, he quickly located Kisho on the eastern part of town. He was in the business section with his lions, creating havoc as a secondary distraction. He watched the stone constructs with interest as they fought with the Konoha ninja. Sasori would have liked them. They were made to last, and like Sasori's puppets and his own birds, they were detailed expressions of their master's creativity.

Pushing the bittersweet thoughts of his deceased partner from his mind, he scanned the village streets until he located Itachi. He was making his way steadily toward Kisho, Hinata close behind him. Good, they were almost finished. Once they were out of town, Deidara would be the one to cut off any pursuit from Konoha. A smirk graced his lips. That would certainly be a blast.

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Small beads of sweat popped out on Kisho's forehead, dampening his crimson and obsidian hair. He had encountered a group of ninja, and he had to concentrate hard to keep them from overpowering him. Mounted on one of his five lions, he dodged a barrage of weapons being thrown at him by a brown haired kunoichi in a pink vest. She carried two large scrolls and was constantly pulling bigger and more deadly weapons from them to toss at him.

In between dodging the vicious metal, he directed a lion that was engaged in battle with an energetic ninja in a green jumpsuit. He had an impressive amount of energy and strength, and Kisho had a feeling that pretty soon he would have to send in another lion to take the place of the one that was nearly smashed to pieces already. The third ninja hadn't attacked yet. He seemed preoccupied with protecting the kunoichi from the lion Kisho had sent in to counterattack her. This ninja was obviously related to Hinata, with pale eyes and long dark hair.

Hearing a loud pop, Kisho glanced up to the sky. Deidara had set off a red smoke bomb. That was the signal. Directing his lion forward quickly, he charged the pale eyed ninja, catching him by surprise. Grabbing his arm, he sucked as much chakra as he could from him before he dodged the man's fist and pulled away. Stopping several yards away, he climbed off of his lion. Leaving one to protect him, he formed hand seals and began molding the last two together.

"Grand Roc Summon!" he cried, sweat pouring down his face as he finished the forbidden jutsu in record time. He had just climbed on the bird's back when Itachi rounded the corner of a building, Hinata tossed over his shoulder. Nodding to him, Kisho reached into his pouch and grabbed the ball of clay Deidara had given him. Tossing it up in the air, he hit it with a kunai, exploding it and releasing green smoke into the air.

Moments later, the clay owl landed beside him, Deidara grinning madly. Itachi handed Hinata up to Kisho, who set her in front of him on the roc. He then jumped on the back of the owl with Deidara and sat down. Kisho released his lions to crumble back to stone as both birds began rapidly flapping their wings. The Konoha ninja could only watch as they rose high into the air and headed out of the village.

Wrapping an arm around his partner to keep her steady, Kisho took the lead, Deidara following closely. Giving her a squeeze, he raised his voice above the wind to speak to her. "Hey Hinata-chan! Did you miss us?" he asked.

Hinata turned her head to look into his glowing golden eyes. A blush crept across her cheeks. "Y-yeah." she replied, giving him a shy smile. Her small hand reached up to grasp the necklace she wore. Kisho was about to say something about it when a shuriken whistled by his head. Sweeping upward, he dodged the attack and looked back. Behind Deidara was a third bird, ridden by a ninja with dark hair and skin so pale, it was as white as paper. He had a disturbing smile on his face and a paintbrush in one hand, scroll in the other.

Pouring chakra to the roc, Kisho pushed it to go faster. He wouldn't be able to hold the jutsu for too much longer, but he figured he had enough chakra to at least get them to the border of Fire. Looking back again, he watched as Deidara wheeled around and was engaging the other bird. He smirked. With Itachi to help as well, the enemy ninja was as good as gone. Facing forward, he concentrated on getting as far away from Konoha as possible.

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The first light of dawn was streaking across the sky when Kiba opened his eyes. His head ached and he felt like he was going to be sick to his stomach. Glancing around, he noted that he was sitting slumped up against the outer wall of Hinata's apartment. Shino was in a similar position beside him, and Akamaru lay at his side, head in his lap, trembling slightly. Shino opened his eyes and from what Kiba could see of his face, he had had a similar experience with Itachi's Sharingan.

Shino hung his head and quietly stared at the ground. "She's gone." he said to no one.

"Yeah." Kiba agreed. "Do you believe Hinata would willingly go with them? Do you believe she actually loves him?" he asked. It seemed so absurd, but if what Itachi said was true, Hinata was lost to them.

"It would seem that way. Her recent behavior makes a lot more sense now." Shino answered solemnly.

Anger and hurt raged through Kiba. How could she do something like that? Were they nothing to her? They were her friends. They had protected her and cared for her. And she had betrayed that like it meant nothing. Angry tears welled up in his eyes and he fisted his hands in Akamaru's fur. "No! I refuse to believe she would leave us!" he shouted. His rant was stopped by Shino's hand on his arm.

"Kiba. Hinata wouldn't leave us. She didn't leave us because she never came back to us. Not really. The Hinata we know is gone." he said sadly.

"Are you saying Itachi was right? That we should just let her go? Shouldn't we fight for her?" Kiba asked, fighting the confusion wrecking his brain. Had the whole world gone mad while he was asleep?

"You can do as you like. But remember, Naruto and Sakura fought for Sasuke for years. And they failed. Why? Because he didn't want what they wanted. You can't keep people from changing. Sometimes it's inevitable. I will never let Hinata go. But if her happiness is somewhere other than here, I will not fight for her. It's not what she wants." he said, his voice faltering as he finished speaking.

Kiba sat in silence, unable to argue with him. He sat and stroked Akamaru's fur as he thought about what Shino had said. Maybe he was right. Maybe Hinata would be happier somewhere else. She certainly hadn't been very happy since she had returned to Konoha. Fine. He would let her be happy if that's what she truly wanted. The life of a shinobi was hard, and if she could find a little peace along the way, he wouldn't stop her. But that didn't mean that if he ever ran across Hoshigaki Kisame he wouldn't beat the hell out of him for taking her away from them. A determined gleam came into his eyes. Oh, yes. He would definitely make the shark ninja pay for Hinata with his blood.

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Kisame cracked a bleary eye open, then immediately closed it again. Damn fluorescent lights were harsh and he had a splitting headache. His muscles were sore and cramped as if he had slept in the floor all night. Groaning, he sat up and stretched, discovering that he had indeed slept on the floor all night. He was just about to stand up when a loud hiss heralded the arrival of one obnoxious Jashinist and his equally obnoxious feline companion. Opening his eyes fully, he glared at Hidan, who was towering over him, Demon glaring back at him from his shoulder.

"Fuck, man, you look like shit." he said.

"I feel like shit." Kisame complained back.

"It's no wonder. Last night you were drunker than a fiddler's bitch. You ought to feel like hell."

"What do you want, Hidan?" he asked. He didn't particularly feel like putting up with any smart asses this morning. He just wanted to go back to sleep. Preferably in a bed this time.

"Have you seen Itachi? Leader-sama was looking for him."

"No."

"Deidara?"

"No."

"Kisho?"

"Hidan, you are the first person I've seen since last night. And it sucks. If Leader-sama can't keep up with his ninja, it's not my problem. Now get out of my face unless you want me to rip your arms off again, I'm going to bed." he said, standing up. Swaying a little, he made his way past Hidan and up the hallway to his room. He stopped at his dresser long enough to run a finger across Hinata's forehead protector, which lay on top, undisturbed. Then he flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes. He would need some more sake when he woke back up.

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Hinata walked behind Itachi, quietly talking to Kisho. She asked how he had been doing with his training and he described his recent missions with Zetsu. Hinata told him about being back in Konoha. What she really wanted to know though, was how Kisame had been doing. If he missed her, if he even still wanted her. Itachi hadn't told her anything, just that she was needed back at the base and his mission depended on it.

She glanced up at the sky as she walked, getting a little more excited the darker the clouds became. And when the first raindrops hit her nose, she smiled. It wouldn't be too much longer now. Trying to distract herself to pass the time, she listened to Deidara rant about his battle with Sai.

"He's got the right idea when it comes to art, but he just goes about it all wrong!" he exclaimed. Itachi just glared at him. "I could draw better in my sleep, yeah. It's like he doesn't even try to get them right."

"Deidara, shut up." Itachi said forcefully. He was really missing his quiet partner right now. He could feel another headache coming on, but this one had nothing to do with using the Sharingan.

Deidara, of course, ignored him. "At least Kisho gets how important details are. Even though they don't do anything fun like explode, his lions are his masterpieces. Right, Kisho?" he asked looking back at the crimson headed ninja. Kisho nodded.

The rain increased suddenly, drenching the four ninja and making them hurry. Hinata tried to keep up, but didn't avoid the rain. She missed it too much. The way it sang on her windowpane, lulling her to sleep. The fresh smell of it as it cleansed the earth. And the way Kisame pulled her a little bit closer to him, as if she would melt if she got too wet.

She stopped suddenly as they topped the last rise. Peering below, the Village of Hidden Rain lay spread out before her, looking exactly the same way she had left it. Tears of relief welled up in her lavender eyes. She had finally made it. She was home.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Mega Lemon Warning! If you wish to skip it, stop reading at the second page break. For everyone else, enjoy!

Chapter 22

Unsealing the door to the base, Itachi and the others stepped inside. The sight that met them made Hinata cringe. Pein stood in the hallway, arms folded and glaring. The intensity of his gaze was enough to make her drop her head. He was definitely pissed. Konan was standing beside him, a frown painted on her lips. "If it isn't the rogue missing nins. It's about time you four got back. Hinata, you are free to go, I'll talk to you later. I want everyone else upstairs in my office. Now." he said.

Pein turned and stalked up the stairs, the others filing after him. Konan stood aside and let them pass, then walked up to Hinata. Giving her a smile, Hinata bowed. "Konan-sama." she greeted.

Konan returned her smile. "Hinata-san, it's great to see you back with us. I take it your recovery went well."

"Hai, I am f-fully healed with n-no problems. Umm, Konan-sama, is Kisame-san h-here?" she asked, blushing. She hadn't felt his chakra when she walked through the door.

"No, he isn't. Leader-sama sent him out to look for Itachi, Deidara and Kisho two days ago. But he should be back sometime today." she said.

Hinata stared at her. Kisame was out looking for them? Did that meant that Itachi had come after her on his own? She didn't think that he had cared that much for her. "L-leader-sama didn't know they w-were coming for m-me?"

"No. They disappeared in the middle of the night four days ago without a word to anyone. Needless to say, Pein was furious. He sent Kisame to look for them the next day."

"Oh, I s-see. Arigatou, Konan-sama."

Nodding, Konan turned and headed up the stairs. Hinata was about to follow after her when a loud voice called to her from the kitchen. "Hinata-chan! Come the fuck here, bitch!"

Paling a little at Hidan's language, Hinata walked into the kitchen. He was standing by the counter, drinking a glass of water. Demon was at his feet, eating a piece of leftover fish. When Hinata came in the room, he looked up from eating to growl at her softly. She returned his greeting with a glare. Kakuzu was sitting at the table, pencil in one hand, calculator in the other and several sheets of paper spread out before him. He stopped writing long enough to nod to her before he returned to his work.

"H-hidan-sama, Kakuzu-sama. How are you?" Hinata asked.

"Fine." Kakuzu answered, not bothering to look up.

"Pissed." Hidan stated nonchalantly. "We come back from a mission only to find half the organization gone, Leader in an uproar and Fish Boy passed out in the hallway, drunk. And we didn't get to be in on any of it!"

"I'm s-sorry, Hidan-san." Hinata said, smiling at his complaints. Kakuzu just shook his head.

After listening to Hidan rant on for a few more minuted about everyone, Hinata excused herself and headed upstairs to shower. Almost automatically, she stopped in front of Kisame's door. Running her fingers lightly over the knob, she was tempted to push it open. Walk right in, curl up in his bed and wait for him to come to her. But she didn't want him seeing her for the first time in three months looking like a vagabond sleepwalker. Trailing her fingers along the wooden door facing, she kept walking towards her room.

Opening her own door, she smiled. Her room was the exact way she left it. The lilacs in her vase were wilted and there was a sheen of dust on the dresser, but she didn't care. It was hers. Pulling open the dresser, she retrieved a change of clothes. Black pants, mesh and dark blue tee shirt. Quickly she made her way to the bathroom. She wanted to get done before Kisame arrived. It wouldn't do to make him wait to see her again.

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Itachi stared at Pein, completely unruffled by the menacing air that hung in the room. The Akatsuki leader was pacing, occasionally tugging at one of his many piercings. He stopped only long enough to glare at Itachi before he spoke.

"I want to know who's idea it was to go on this little trip." he said, his voice low and hard.

"It was mine." Itachi answered evenly. Deidara and Kisho remained silent.

"Why? What were you thinking?"

"I'm sure that you've noticed the drastic changes in Kisame-san's behavior since he returned from taking Hinata-san to Konoha. It was beginning to affect his performance on missions. I believe the cause of it was his separation from her. Plus, Hinata-san's continued presence in Konoha presented an unacceptable risk to our security. Retrieving her was the best solution for solving two problems at once." he said coolly.

"A logical explanation, as expected, but you should have come to me first. If you three idiots had been captured or killed, it would have sabotaged all of our hard work. You shouldn't have risked it. You're lucky it was a success, otherwise I'd be very, very angry." he said with another glare.

"And you two!" he growled, turning his wrath on Deidara and Kisho "You should know that you don't go on a mission without your partner unless I explicitly order it! And make sure that mission comes from me!"

Pein dismissed them a short time later, and Deidara and Kisho slunk out the door, relieved to only get away with a light reprimand. Itachi started to follow them out when Pein's voice stopped him. "Itachi. I know you were just trying to help your friend, but in the future, learn to control your impulses."

Itachi just looked at him blankly and nodded his head. He was probably the last person here who needed a lecture on controlling their impulses. He strolled out of the office and down the stairs. He had just descended the last step to the first floor when, down the hall, the front door opened and Kisame walked in. He looked tired, dirty and more than a little agitated. Spying Itachi, he frowned and made his way over to his parter.

"Itachi-san. Where were you? I've been looking for you for days!" he asked, his voice showing his irritation.

"I was out." Itachi replied vaguely. Surely his partner's keen nose had picked up Hinata's scent by now.

"Do you know how hard Leader-sama has been riding my ass about it? Like I know what you do when you disappear. Why did you leave? And did Deidara and Kisho go with you? I couldn't find them anywhere either."

"Kisame, stop." Itachi commanded, halting the shark ninja, mid-rant.

Kisame glared at his partner. He wasn't getting very far in getting an explanation. He was just about to start in on him again when he froze. ...No, it couldn't be. His senses had to be playing tricks on his tired mind. But the more he tried to push it away, the more persistent it became. With the slightest glimmer of hope, Kisame closed his eyes and concentrated on sorting out the muddled scents in the building.

Yes, there it was. The smell of rain and woods and... _Hinata_. It was fresh and sharp, not faded and haunting like it had been, torturing him for the last three months. She was here. Opening his eyes, he stared at his partner, speechless. Itachi just stood there silently, a small smirk on his lips. "Itachi-san... you didn't..." he trailed off, the unspoken question hanging between them. Itachi just inclined his head toward the stairs and walked off in the direction of the common room.

Feeling a little dazed, Kisame slowly climbed the stairs. His mind was fully focused on one thing...her. Following her scent down the hallway, he paused where it swirled and grew heavier. He was standing right in front of his bedroom door. Pulling it open, he peered inside. Nothing. His room was exactly the same. That was when he heard the soft patter of running water coming from the bathroom. A smirk crossed his harsh features. There she was.

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Hinata closed her eyes and turned her face up to the spray of water hitting her body. She willed herself to relax and let the heat and moisture soothe her stressed mind. Kisame would be back soon. She knew she shouldn't be, but she was nervous about seeing him again. Would he be happy to see her again, or would he be angry that she didn't stay in Konoha? What if he was indifferent to her? That would kill her. She had missed him so badly.

Then there was the meeting with Pein she would be having soon. He was sure to ask her more questions than Tsunade had, and he had nothing restraining him from using less than kind methods if she refused to answer. She bit her lip and tilted her head forward, letting the hot water wet her long hair. She was so lost in thought that she never heard the subtle creak of the door as it was gently opened and closed again or the light swish of material as the shower curtain was slowly pushed aside, then replaced. In fact, she knew nothing at all until a large pair of arms wrapped themselves around her torso and pulled her back into a towering body of bare muscle.

Hinata gasped in surprise and her eyes flew open. She automatically froze and her face turned beet red. Heart racing, she slowly her eyes lowered to the arms holding her just below her breasts. Bluish gray skin met her gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the familiar pressure of a face being buried in her hair. His chakra wrapped around her as he took control of the water sliding down her body, making it swirl around her and trail across her skin like hundreds of disembodied fingers. Time seemed to stop as they stood in silence, unmoving.

"Kisame." she whispered his name quietly, afraid that if she said it too loud, he would disappear and she would discover that she was only dreaming.

"Hinata." he breathed into her hair. Kisame fought the intense desire swirling within him. His primal side was demanding he claim her immediately, but it was enough for him just to hold her.

"I t-thought I'd n-never see you again." Hinata said, her voice thick with emotion. The full weight of her feelings for him hit her and tears threatened to spill over and mingle with the water cascading down on her from overhead. Despite wanting to cry, a smile found her lips when she felt him chuckle against her neck. He nuzzled her ear gently before he spoke.

"Hmm, You haven't even seen me yet." he teased. Loosening his grip on her ribs, he smoothed the skin of her sides with his palms until they settled lightly on her hips. Holding her gently, he turned her around until she was facing him. Lavender eyes locked with yellow ones and he smirked at her. "There now. That's better." he said.

Without breaking eye contact, Hinata touched the closest part of him to her, which was his hands on her hips. Her need for him was so strong, not even one of the legendary Sannin could keep her away from him now. She ran her fingers over the weathered skin on the backs of his hands, then moved further up to the smoother texture of his muscular arms. She traced the defined lines there, memorizing each one by touch, and scattering the droplets of water that settled in the deeper grooves.

Breaking away from her gaze, Kisame dropped his eyes to watch her work. A shudder went through him at her touch, pent up desires breaking free to wreck havoc on his body. Lust flared in his eyes and he looked at her, naked before him, drinking her in. His eyes landed on the necklace he had commissioned for her, nestled in its home between her breasts. She hadn't even taken it off to shower.

When had she gotten it? He still had it while she was in Konoha, and she hadn't been in his room when she returned. A hazy memory suddenly came to him. He remembered having it with him when he passed out in the hallway. Itachi must have seen it as he was leaving and grabbed it. No one else would be brave enough to approach him while drunk. It usually had unpleasant consequences. With her hand still on his arm, he ran his index finger up her belly to where it lay, grazing the inside of her breast with the back of his hand. Picking the pendant up, he examined it.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

An unfamiliar emotion flickered in her eyes. She smiled broadly, cheeks pinkening. "I l-love it." she said. Reaching up, Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss his lips tenderly. Like a starved man, he kissed her back hungrily, feasting on her lips and demanding more. Unable to hold still, his hands began to wander over her water-slicked skin.

He stroked the side of her breast before running his palm down her soft belly. A pained look came to his eyes as his fingers found the five star shaped scars scattered across her stomach. Breaking their kiss, he drew in some much needed oxygen and looked down at them. Guilt settled in his chest like a heavy stone. He should have insisted that someone go with them on that stupid mission. He should have demanded it from Pein, or shook him until he listened to reason.

"Hummingbird, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I should have been." he said sincerely.

"Kisame, it w-wasn't your fault. N-nobody knew it was g-going to happen. Don't b-blame yourself. A-and besides that, you s-saved my life. No one else could h-have gotten me to Konoha so f-fast. Thank you." she said.

Kisame didn't answer. She might forgive him, but he would never forgive himself for allowing her to get hurt. But he could wallow in morbid pity later. He was not going to ruin his time with Hinata by feeling sorry for himself. Returning his attention back to her abdomen, he lifted an eyebrow in surprise when he noticed a splash of black peeking out from beneath the hand that was still resting on her right hip. Slowly peeling away his fingers, he grinned.

Just above her hipbone was a tattoo the size of his palm. It was a yin yang design, but instead of the customary dots, the light side had a hummingbird in it's place, silhouetted in black. And on the dark side, a great white shark swam in the sea of bluish black ink. He let his finger trail over the design as a wave of affection poured through him. Looking back up at her face, he saw that her head was turned away from him, a light blush of embarrassment dusting her cheeks. Cupping her chin in his hand, he turned her head back to meet his gaze.

"It's beautiful." he said. Feathering his thumb along her jaw, he slid his hand around to cup the back of her head. Wrapping his other arm around her waist, he drew her flush against him and kissed her. He felt her little arms wrap around his torso and she kissed him back, almost desperately. His body hardened under the contact, and he felt his control begin to slip. Without breaking their heated kiss, he turned with her and pressed her against the cool tile wall, needing her even closer.

Hinata gasped at the shock of cold on her heated skin. But it didn't last long, the warmth of her body radiating into the tile, and soon it was forgotten completely as Kisame broke their kiss to bury his face in her neck. A moan escaped her lips as he began swirling his tongue over the sensitive skin above her rapid pulse. Butterflies jumped in her stomach and desire swept through her body. Unable to keep still, she ran her hands lightly over the defined muscles of his back, dragging her fingernails gently over his smooth, wet skin.

Fisting her silky hair in his hand, Kisame tilted her head back to give him better access to her neck. Trailing open mouthed kisses across her flesh, he stopped when he reached the tendon just below her ear and bit down gently. She gasped, and he pulled back to softly blow on the bite mark, soothing the stinging sensation while letting his other hand trail up to cup her soft breast. Pulling her earlobe into his mouth, he worried it with his teeth, being careful not to bite her too hard, as he ran his thumb over her erect nipple.

Oh, Kami, she was burning up. Everywhere he touched her left trails of fire in his wake. The light spray hitting her from the shower head only enhanced the sensation. Hinata closed her eyes as Kisame nibbled his way down her neck and across her collarbone. Placing a soft kiss in the hollow of her throat, he continued his journey down her chest until he reached her neglected breast. As soon as his mouth closed around her nipple, her inner muscles clenched and she moaned loudly.

Kisame grinned against her skin. Kami, how he missed this. The way she sounded, the way she smelled, her taste. All of her. Releasing her hair, he trailed his fingers down her neck and onto her shoulder as he teased her breasts a little more. But there were far more interesting places on her body he wanted to explore. Lured by the scent of her desire, he released her and slowly lowered himself to his knees, kissing his way down her stomach and tracing random patterns along her skin as he went.

The water that had been hitting his back now fell on her chest, and he took great pleasure in chasing the little trails of moisture down her soft belly with his tongue. Gripping her hips lightly, he pressed a firm kiss just below her navel. Sliding his palms down her calves he kneaded her firm muscles before picking one of her legs up and hooking it over his shoulder. He glanced up at her face to see her reaction. Normally, she would be hesitant about this sort of thing, but the hazy look on her face told him that any protests she might have had been tossed out the window long ago.

Hinata's eyelids drooped down at the first pass of Kisame's finger over her womanhood. The second pass and they were closed completely as desire pooled low and she felt herself dampening considerably. And when he replaced his finger with his tongue, her breath caught in her throat and she fisted both hands in his hair to ground herself as a wave of pleasure crashed over her. She found her breath again and moaned as he continued to tease her. It was a good thing he was holding her up. As soon as his tongue slid inside her, she felt her knees give out and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming in ecstasy.

Kisame closed his eyes as he wallowed in her glorious scent. Her breathy moans of pleasure and her small fists in his hair only encouraged him. His own body was beginning to harden painfully, but he clamped down on his desire. She would be satisfied first, regardless of his needs. Slowly, he licked his way back up her cleft, until his tongue was lazily swirling around her swollen button. She whimpered her need to him, and he complied, gently sliding two fingers into her. Her muscles clamped down on his digits, and she moaned as the friction of him moving his fingers sent a wave of heat coursing through her. He started a slow rhythm, and her hips automatically picked it up, pushing against his hand, trying to draw him further in, encouraging him to go faster.

Hinata was panting hard. She just knew she would die any second now. Every thrust of his fingers, every flick of his tongue drove another wave of fire sailing through her. She tightened her grip on his navy blue hair, trying desperately to stay anchored as the waves of pleasure came closer and closer together. Soon she couldn't tell the difference anymore, her body was riding the edge of feeling, completely on fire. All thought driven from her, she reveled in the ecstasy and freedom her body was feeling. Then he lightly bit down on her, and she screamed, her mind plummeting into darkness as he drove her body over the edge.

Kisame caught her as she crumpled under the force of her orgasm. Pulling her limp body into his chest, he turned and sat with her cradled in his lap, letting the warm water cascading over them bring her back to reality. Sweeping the stray locks of hair out of her face, he studied her features. Her cheeks were red and her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses. He watched her lips as air passed between them, transfixed for a moment by her rhythmic breathing. Then he felt her eyes on him and he looked up, taking in her love-drunk lavender orbs.

"Are you alright?" he asked, skimming a finger across her cheek.

"Yeah." she said breathlessly. Shakily sitting up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. Turning to get more comfortable, she straddled his lap, his still hardened manhood pressing against her core. He groaned into her mouth, the contact catching his blood on fire and making his heart pound furiously. Breaking their kiss, Hinata pulled back and cupped his face in her hands, feathering her thumbs over the markings on his cheeks. He closed his eyes, savoring her touch. She let her fingers trail over his slick skin, tracing his jawline and down his neck. She smoothed over his muscular shoulders before leaning forward and, pressing close, scattered kisses across his neck.

Kisame groaned again. "Kami, woman, you are going to be the death of me." he said, his voice tight with barely leashed control. Her only response was to swirl her tongue around his earlobe before gently tugging on it with her teeth and growling softly in his ear. Her playful teasing was his undoing. An answering growl erupted from his throat as he wrapped his arms around her and, in one fluid motion, stood with her in his arms. Pining her against the wall, he entered her in one quick thrust as his mouth came crashing down on hers, kissing her hungrily.

Hinata cried out at the sensation of him filling her, her body still sensitive from her orgasm. He stilled, letting her body adjust to his invasion. He had to force himself to remain immobile as her muscles gently squeezed him, sending a shudder racing through him. She wrapped her legs around his waist to support herself, pulling him deeper inside. Cupping her bottom with his hands, Kisame held her up as he began a slow, deep rhythm.

The friction was incredible. Hinata broke their kiss to lean her head against the wall and closed her eyes, giving herself up to pure feeling. A whimper escaped her as Kisame kissed his way down her neck, setting her on fire all over again. Increasing the tempo, he thrust into her faster and she heard a deep moan escape him as he started to lose control. Biting down on her shoulder, he buried himself up to the hilt as he felt the first tremors of her orgasm. Releasing his hold on her shoulder, he pulled back to watch the pleasure wash over her face.

"Hummingbird, look at me." he said, his voice hoarse as he fought his own release. Opening her pale eyes, she locked on his yellow ones, her body shaking as she came.

As he gazed into her bliss filled orbs, a strange feeling came over Kisame. A sort of peaceful acceptance of life that contradicted his bloodthirsty nature. It was as if her innocent submission in that instant cleansed his soul, washing away the darkness and loneliness that had consumed him for years. For the first time ever, he felt free. A fleeting moment later his own orgasm took him, and he came, crying out her name.

Completely spent, Hinata lay her head on his shoulder. Never in her life had she felt so worn out, yet so happy at the same time. They stayed locked together for a few moments, panting heavily, trying to regain their breath. Finally, Kisame released her, setting her on wobbly legs. Using one arm to hold her up, he steadied himself with the other planted against the wall. That was when he noticed that the forgotten shower had long gone cold.

Turning around, he shut it off and pulled open the curtain. Grabbing the fluffiest towel he could find, he wrapped Hinata in it and helped her out of the shower. She shakily started gathering up their clothes, and when she had them all, he picked her up, clothes still in hand, and carried her to her bedroom. Blushing hard, she scanned the hallway to see if anyone saw them. Luckily it was completely empty.

Setting her down beside her bed, Kisame pulled her covers back and climbed in. Hinata set their clothes on her dresser, dropped her towel on the floor and crawled in beside him. Curling into his chest, she laid her head on his arm and smiled up at him. Too tired to say anything, Kisame rolled toward her, drawing her closer to him, and rested his chin on her head. Closing his eyes, he listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing and let out a content sigh. Moments later, they were both fast asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Tsunade stood in the middle of her office, staring at the charred remains. It was a total loss. The only thing not burnt to a crisp was a stack of papers, slightly brown around the edges, sitting on what remained of her desk. With a huff, she blew her hair out of her eyes and glared at it. Figures. Turning to Shizune, who stood silently beside her, she shook her head sadly.

"Has the pursuit team reported back in yet?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. They returned this morning. But since the intruders escaped via air, they were unable to pick up a trail. They're gone." Shizune answered.

"And their objective?"

"According to the reports filed by Team Gai, their goal seemed to be the abduction of Hyuuga Hinata."

Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise. "What!" she practically yelled. Shizune cringed. "She's gone again?"

"Yes ma'am. Hyuuga Neji confirmed witnessing her abduction."

Tsunade frowned. "Very well. Until this mess is cleaned up, I will be working out of my office at the hospital. Fetch Neji, Shino and Kiba, and send them there." Without another word, Tsunade turned and left her office, her heels clicking on the darkened floor. Shizune stared up at the gaping hole in the ceiling where the bomb had impacted. A wisp of cloud drifted past her gaze, serenely unaware of the events that had taken place in the village. _'Oh, to be that free.' _Shizune wished to herself. Releasing a heavy sigh, she left to do the Hokage's bidding.

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Hinata floated in and out of consciousness, the gentle patter of rain outside lulling her mind back into slumber. She was warm and comfortable, with no desire to stir anytime soon. Not that she could move, even if she wanted to. Sometime during the night, she had rolled over, and Kisame had her pulled close to his chest, one leg thrown over her thighs and his arm draped limply across her torso. His chin was still resting lightly on her head. His steady breathing told her that he was already awake.

Pushing sleep away, she opened her eyes. Attempting to roll over, she was stopped by his arm tightening its grip on her body, forcing her to stay still. Relenting, she relaxed again, and contented herself with running her fingers over the back of his hand. He let out a peaceful sigh at her touch and began stroking her bare stomach. Soon she felt him shift behind her, and he released her legs to nuzzle her neck.

"Good morning." he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm, morning." she answered. She felt her eyelids droop downward as his caresses relaxed her further. At this rate, he would have her asleep again in no time. A smile found its way to her lips as he kissed his way down her throat, his fingers exploring the curves of her body with new intent. Inwardly, Hinata shook her head. The man seemed to be insatiable. He had awakened her twice during the night to make love to her all over again.

Now freed of his weight, Hinata rolled onto her back and stared up into his face. His yellow eyes locked with hers and he leaned down to capture her lips. She opened her mouth for him and cupped his cheek with her hand as she felt his tongue sweep inside to tangle with her own. He explored her mouth for several minutes before unwillingly pulling back, needing air. Running her fingernails lightly down his chest, she smirked at him when she saw lust flare in his eyes.

Just then a knock sounded on her door. Hinata groaned at being interrupted, and Kisame gave her a pleading look. He shook his head at her, but she just smiled and rolled her eyes at him. "W-who is it?" she called out.

"Kisho." came the muffled reply through the door. "Leader-sama sent me to tell you that you have a meeting with him in an hour."

"Okay, t-thank you, Kisho-kun." she replied. Soon his footsteps were heard retreating down the hallway. Turning back to Kisame, she sat up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I n-need to go shower."

"Mmm, a wonderful idea." he said, smirking at her. "I think I need a shower too."

Hinata blushed furiously, images of the previous evening flashing in her head. "I d-don't care if you j-join me, but you can't m-make me late." she said.

Kisame grinned wickedly and trailed his fingers down her naked stomach to swirl lazily over her tattoo. "I won't promise anything, but I'll try to behave." he said. Hinata didn't believe him for a single second.

An hour later, Hinata stood in Pein's office, showered, dressed and nervous. Being here always did that to her, and she tried hard to keep from fidgeting. It failed, and she soon found her fingers in their usual position, pressing together in front of her chest. Pein watched her from behind his desk, Konan standing beside him. He had a stern expression on his face, making Hinata gulp.

"Hinata-san, I'm glad you're back with us, but I have to ask you about the time you spent in Konoha. When you returned there, were you questioned?" he asked.

"Y-yes, Leader-sama." she replied.

"About Akatsuki?"

"H-hai."

"And what did you tell them? Don't leave anything out, and I'll know if you're lying." he said, leaning forward with a glare to accent his words.

Hinata gazed at the floor as she spoke. She told him most of what Kisame had told her in the woods and about her conversation with the Hokage. He listened intently, only asking the occasional question as she went. She then described what happened afterward, about not being able to return due to the ANBU surveillance, her training sessions and her demotion from heiress. When she finished she glanced up at him. Pein's face looked less grim, and she relaxed a little.

"Very good. Nothing vital was lost, so our plans can continue on schedule. I must say, I'm surprised that Ibiki was convinced of your story so easily. Konoha is as soft as ever." he said, shaking his head. "I just have one more question for you. Why?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Why..." Hinata trailed off, not quite understanding what he meant. Did he mean why was Konoha soft?

"Why would you protect us? You were in you're home village with an airtight cover story. Yet you didn't turn us over when it would have been extremely easy to do so. Why?"

Hinata blushed. He would probably laugh at her, but she only had one answer to that question. Her fidgeting ceased and she looked him straight in the eyes. Let him ridicule her, she didn't care. "I d-did it to p-protect someone." she said, her voice never wavering, despite her stuttering.

Pein raised an eyebrow. "Hoshigaki means that much to you?"

Hinata's eyes widened and she glanced over at Konan, who was smiling at her. Her blush deepened. "Y-yes, Leader-sama." she replied.

"Fine. As long as your relationship doesn't interfere with the organization, I don't care what the two of you do. Since I am satisfied with your answers, Konan has something for you." he said, nodding at his partner.

Konan walked around the desk and up to Hinata. Taking the kunoichi's hand in her own, she dropped something light and metallic in her palm. Closing her fingers around the object, Konan released her hand and stepped back. Hinata looked down as she reopened her fingers. Laying there was an Akatsuki ring. Picking it up, she examined it closely. On a black stone, surrounded by silver, was inscribed the the kanji for 'feather'. It pulsed gently with sealed chakra. Surprised, Hinata looked up at Pein.

"Once you put your ring on, I'll activate the jutsu. It will allow you to use a technique to communicate with other members and myself. It will also allow you to participate in the sealing ritual you will be required to perform later on. Konan will teach you the hand seals for it. Since the ring is bound with my chakra, I'll be able to locate you, no matter how far away you are. There are some side effects to it; your body may feel strange and your fingernails will darken. But that's about it." he explained.

"D-does it matter w-which finger?"

"No. Since we have more than ten members now, you can choose whichever finger you want."

Nodding, Hinata slipped the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. It was the same finger Kisame wore his ring on. Pein did a few quick hand seals and released the jutsu on her ring. Immediately the chakra began seeking its way up her arm. When it reached a large enough chakra point, it entered her body and began twining itself around her chakra network. As soon as it entered her skin, a shock went through Hinata like a lightning bolt. At first she tried to fight it, but after a few moments, the intensity drove her to her knees. Falling forward, she caught herself with her hands.

Just when she was about to cry out, the jutsu completed and the pain ceased altogether. She hadn't realized when she had closed her eyes, but now she slowly slid them open. The first thing she saw was her hands on the floor. Her fingernails had indeed darkened. They were now a deep bluish black color. Her ring no longer pulsated. Shakily, she climbed to her feet. Locking eyes with Pein, he gave her an approving nod.

"You're partner received his ring this morning as well, which means you are both fully recognized members of Akatsuki. If you don't have any questions, you are dismissed. I will assign you a mission within the next few days."

Bowing low, Hinata turned and left Pein's office. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Thanks to Kisame's idea of behaving, she hadn't had time to eat before the meeting, and now she was starving. Deidara and Tobi were sitting at the table, eating breakfast. They were wearing their cloaks and she noticed a pack lying in the floor at Tobi's feet. She had just made it to the refrigerator when Tobi's excited voice reached her ears.

"Oohh, Hinata-chan has a pretty new ring!"

Deidara looked up from his food to see what had his partner so wound up. When he saw Hinata's left hand, he smiled. "Welcome to the club, yeah."

"T-thank you," she said. Grabbing some fresh fruit and a glass of milk, she joined them at the table. "Do you h-have a mission t-today?" she asked politely.

"Yes! Tobi and Sempai are going to the Land of Water! Tobi hopes to see a whale while he is there." he said, gesturing wildly, spoon in hand.

Deidara just sighed at his partners antics. Finishing their food, they rose, and saying goodbye to Hinata, headed out the door. Five minutes after they left, Kisho came in and sat down next to her. He wore his usual sour expression and he let his crimson and onyx hair hang in his eyes. Hinata glanced over at him and had to suppress a sigh. He was almost as moody now as he was when he first arrived at the base. Smiling at him, she hoped it would lift his somber mood.

"G-good morning, Kisho-kun." she said cheerily.

"Morning, Hinata-chan." he replied.

"L-leader-sama told me that y-you got your r-ring this morning. M-may I see it?" she asked.

Kisho lay his left hand on the table. On his little finger was a red stoned ring with the kanji for 'two'. She noticed that his fingers had darkened to a deep purplish black. Hinata studied his ring a moment before looking at him and smiling. The hard edge to his eyes softened and he brushed his hair out of his face to see her better.

"Guess w-we're officially a t-team now." she said.

"Yeah, I guess so." he replied in his low voice.

Hinata finished her breakfast and stood. Kisho watched her quietly as she cleaned up. Excusing herself, she left to find Kisame. Kisho watched her as she exited the room and couldn't help the stab of jealousy that went through him. He understood that she loved the shark ninja. And that Kisame needed her. But he needed her too. She was the only thing that made his life here bearable.

It had been pure torture while she was in Konoha. Every time someone looked at him, he could see the blame in their eyes. Guilt consumed him over her injury and his nightmares were more than happy to replay it for him every night. Working with Zetsu hadn't helped his mental state either. The plant man was more than enough to drive anyone insane. And without Hinata to keep him steady, he quickly spiraled into a deep abyss of depression.

The mission to retrieve Hinata had nearly shattered his mind. Spending two days alone with Deidara and Itachi was like living in his own personal hell. Every time he looked at Deidara, he was reminded of his home village. Shame poured through him as he contemplated what they must have thought of him. In Iwagakure, even the slightest disloyalty was punished severely. Abandonment would never be forgiven.

Even though Itachi didn't say much to him the whole time they were traveling, his very presence was a reminder of the first night he spent with him at the inn. He had tried to fight Itachi and escape out the window. He had nearly made it when the world started spinning and he found himself in a very strange place. The sky was red under a full moon with black clouds rushing past. Everything else was black and grey, as if all color had been washed out of the world.

Before him lay the village of Iwagakure. And it was in flames. The villagers stood around him, anger on their faces. From out of the crowd stepped Itachi. With a smirk he told him that this was the world of the Tsukuyomi and for the rest of the night, his own people would punish him for his insolence. A little girl he recognized as a genin training under his old sensei stepped forward, hate gleaming in her blue eyes.

"Traitor!" she shouted, throwing a rock and hitting him in the chest with it. Kisho tried to block it, but he found his body frozen to the spot. He couldn't move, couldn't run. The other villagers followed her example, throwing rocks at him until his body was cut and bleeding everywhere. The pain was horrible. Every hit scored not only on his body, but on his soul as well. They kept on and on until his body was an unrecognizable lump of blood of flesh. Just when he knew death was coming, he lost consciousness, only to wake up whole at the start of the scenario.

This continued on for more than eight hours, over and over again. By the time Itachi released the genjutsu, he was lying in the floor, curled in a tight ball. His whole body was shaking and tears ran unchecked down his cheeks. The rest of his time in that miserable room was spent in the corner, staring at the floor. He was broken, defeated, and he knew it. He never wanted to go through that again. It would surely kill him if he did. With a shudder, Kisho pulled himself away from those dark memories and went to work off his nerves in the training rooms.

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Tsunade sat behind her desk in her temporary office at the hospital. In her hands she held the ANBU report she had hidden away. It detailed Hinata's visit to the flower shop and tattoo parlor. With a sigh she grabbed the sake bottle sitting beside her and took a drink. What was she going to do? Her job demanded that a team be assigned to retrieve her missing ninja immediately. But something about the situation gave her pause. Hinata's behavior since she returned didn't corroborate her story as a hostage. It was almost like she didn't belong in Konoha anymore. Her time with the Akatsuki had changed the Hyuuga drastically.

She was trying to fit the pieces of this frustrating puzzle together when a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Expecting Kiba, Shino and Neji, she gave the command to enter. She was surprised when Sakura walked in and bowed low.

"Tsunade-sama." the pink haired kunoichi said in greeting.

"Ah, Sakura. How is Sai doing? Are his injuries healing well?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. I just stopped by to deliver his mission report. He will be unable to leave for a few more days, but his recovery is coming along nicely." she answered. Tsunade took the scroll from her and opened it. Scanning the contents, she stopped at the bottom and raised an eyebrow. Glancing at Sakura, she couldn't help the small twitch that passed over her lips.

"Do you know anything else about this, Sakura? It says here that Sai and the Akatsuki, Deidara, had an argument during their battle...about art." Tsunade asked.

Sakura smiled at Tsunade. The memory of seeing Sai after the Akatsuki invasion popped into her head. He had looked terrible, with burns all over his body. But what shocked her the most was when she removed his shirt to begin healing him. Scrawled across his stomach in his own special ink were the words 'Deidara Was Here.' It was done in an elegant handwriting, and she could tell that great care was taken with each letter. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at her teammate, who promptly looked out the window.

"Sai, what happened?" she asked.

Without looking at her, he began speaking in his light monotone. "While I was trying to stop the Akatsuki, the one called Deidara managed to destroy my ink bird. I fell, with him following close behind me. He had me cornered, but instead of killing me, he went on a rampage about art. He said that I had talent, but the form I chose was comparable to graffiti. He did this after I was knocked unconscious by one of his explosions. I suppose he did it to prove his point." he said, turning back to her with a fake smile plastered on his face.

Sakura's face turned beet red as she tried not to laugh. She started healing his burns as a means to distract herself. Sai was already uncomfortable about the whole situation. If she so much as giggled, it would make it that much worse. When she was finished, she excused herself and ran to the bathroom. When she got there, she laughed until her sides hurt. She had no idea that a murderous villain had such a sense of humor. If circumstances were different, she was sure they would have been friends.

Tsunade cleared her throat, bringing Sakura back to the present. Wiping a tear away, she shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama. Sai's report is complete. I don't know anything more than you've already read." she replied.

"Very well, you are dismissed then." she said. Sakura bowed and turned to leave. As she stepped out the door, she nearly ran into Shino who had just stepped forward to knock on the door. Behind him stood Kiba, Akamaru and Neji. They all greeted her and she answered with a friendly wave. Excusing herself, she stepped around them and went to check on the rest of her patients.

The three boys continued into the office and bowed to the Hokage. Straightening back up, Neji was the first one to speak. "You sent for us, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes. I wanted to talk to the three of you about Hinata. Since you're the ones who are closest to her, I want to know if any of you noticed any changes in her behavior since her first abduction by the Akatsuki." she said, looking each of them over with a critical eye.

"I wasn't around her much since her return, however the few times I did see her, she seemed more withdrawn than usual, but at the same time, less timid." Neji stated. Kiba and Shino looked at each other. Kiba shook his head, and Shino nodded. They argued silently for a minute until finally, Kiba gave his teammate a defeated look. Nodding again, Shino stepped forward and spoke up, his voice muffled by his coat.

"Tsunade-sama. Kiba and I both noticed a big change in Hinata-san whenever she came back. She stopped stuttering altogether. She also seemed more defiant, and like Neji-san stated, more withdrawn. She spent all her free time alone and whenever we convinced her to go out, she didn't seem to enjoy herself at all. It was almost like she was grieving. At first we attributed it to trauma caused by her abduction, but after she was abducted the second time, we believe that isn't the case at all." he stated, matter-of-factly.

"Explain." the Hokage commanded.

"Kiba and I were on our way to the Tower when we decided to meet Hinata at her apartment first. We stumbled upon her and Uchiha Itachi. She didn't fight him, and seemed completely unafraid. They conversed for a moment and then she left with him freely."

"Why didn't you stop them?" Tsunade asked.

"When we made an attempt to move, we were caught in a genjutsu. Uchiha was aware of our presence the entire time." Shino answered.

"I see." she said blankly. Next she turned to Neji. "You were the last one to see her before the Akatsuki escaped. Was she incapacitated in any way?"

"Uchiha Itachi had her over his shoulder when they first appeared, but Hinata wasn't struggling against him. I had my Byakugan activated at the time as well. Her chakra network was intact and uninhibited." he stated.

Tsunade's brow furrowed. She glanced down again at the scroll in her hand. There was another sheet of paper tucked with it. It was a copy of the tattoo Hinata had done after her visit to the flower shop. She studied it as she thought over the information she just received. Finally everything clicked. Glancing up, she looked at the ninja standing before her, waiting patiently for her to speak.

"It seems then that I have no choice. From this moment onward, Hyuuga Hinata is to be considered a missing ninja, in affiliation with Akatsuki." she said with a heavy sigh.

Neji nodded, Shino stared at the floor and Kiba ground his teeth in frustration. It took everything he had not to shout at the Hokage. Finally he managed to clamp down on his anger long enough to speak. "Hokage-sama. I have one favor to ask in this matter. Shino, Neji and I would like to be on the retrieval mission. We deserve to be the ones to bring her back, even if she is in trouble."

"No." Tsunade said firmly.

This time Kiba did lose his temper. "What?" he shouted. "Why not?"

"Because," Tsunade started. "There is not going to be a retrieval mission."

"There isn't?" Neji asked, genuinely confused.

"It's clear to me that Hinata didn't want to be here. She evidently found some form of happiness elsewhere. If she came back now, she would only wind up dead or imprisoned. Let her have a semblance of peace while it lasts. A shinobi's life is hard and such a thing is rare. Besides, I can't afford the extra ninja it would take to hunt her down." she said, giving Kiba a mock glare.

After reminding them that their meeting was classified, Tsunade dismissed them. They filed out the door, passing Shizune on her way in. Walking up to Tsunade's desk, she lay down a stack of papers. Seeing the Hokage in a sour mood, she remained silent and turned to walk out. Just as she reached the door, she heard Tsunade crack her knuckles and mutter "Hoshigaki better take damn good care of her."

"What was that, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, turning back to her boss.

"Nothing." Tsunade answered with a pout, grabbing a sheet of paper off the stack on her desk.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

A snowflake drifted down to melt away on the damp ground. Another followed, and another, until a steady stream of them floated down from the gray sky. Moegi pulled her plum colored jacket closer to her body and tried to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine. It didn't help that every time the wind decided to blow, it went right up her skirt, freezing the parts of her legs not covered by her calf high boots. Glancing ahead at her temporary teammates, she wondered how they did it. The cold didn't seem to affect them at all.

Kiba looked back over his shoulder to see Moegi falling behind. Smiling, he called out to her. "Hang in there, Moegi-chan. We'll be at the inn soon!"

As if given an unspoken command, Akamaru bounded to her side. Pressing his body to her hip, he walked alongside her. She buried her hand in his thick fur, grateful for the additional warmth. With a sigh, she wished for the millionth time that she was back in Konoha. They had been on this mission for two days now, and she was already missing her friends and family. She especially missed Konohamaru.

Pushing thoughts of her boyfriend aside, she smiled back at Kiba. She had to be strong, she reminded herself. Ninjas don't wilt like flowers. Waving her free hand, she shouted back to him to be heard over the wind that picked up again. "I'm f-fine, Kiba-kun. Thank you!" she said, clamping her teeth shut to keep them from chattering anymore.

A strange look passed over Kiba's face and he quickly turned away from her. Shino, who had seemed to be lost in thought up until this point, turned his head and looked at his partner, an eyebrow arching high over his sunglasses. He said nothing, and returned to watching the horizon as he walked. Moegi, thinking something was about to happen, rushed to catch up. Slowing to a walk just behind them, she gripped her jacket nervously. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No." Shino replied.

"Oh, but you are mistaken. Something is terribly wrong." a strange voice called out. Kunai were automatically drawn as the team snapped their heads toward the source of the sound. Only bare trees and falling snow greeted their vision. Akamaru dashed over to Kiba, nose in the air, sniffing. But the wind was against them, carrying the scent of the unknown threat away. Several minutes passed and they still could not locate the source of the voice.

Shino sighed in frustration. This was why he hated winter the most. The low temperatures were his insects' worst enemy. Even if he tried to send them out, they would be dead before they could return, any information they had, lost. If he could get them to go at all. At the moment they were still and quiet, hibernating within his body. Normally he wouldn't be on a mission this time of year, but since they were just supposed to rendezvous with Kurenai and escort a daimyo to his winter home, Tsunade had sent him anyway.

Moegi tightened her grip on her weapon. The inactivity was making her shiver in earnest now. The slight tinge of fear didn't help matters either. If Kiba and Akamaru couldn't detect the enemy, they could be in serious trouble. Dry laughter rang through the trees, making her jump. "Look, the little kunoichi is scared." a second, feminine voice taunted. A vein popped out on Moegi's forehead. She was about to retaliate when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

Two figures stood in the road ahead of them. One was tall, obviously a man, and the other was short, only a little taller than Moegi herself. She couldn't see their faces, the hats they had on obscured them completely. When she saw what they wore, her breath caught in her throat. They both had black cloaks with red clouds drifting across the material. Finding her voice, Moegi warned her teammates of the newly discovered danger. "Akatsuki!" she cried out, moving closer to Kiba.

Shino and Kiba turned their heads to where Moegi was pointing. Akamaru raised his hackles and started growling. Kiba stepped forward and glared at them. "What's this about?" he asked angrily. "If you want to fight us, come out and do it, not hide like cowards!"

Ignoring his rant, the taller one turned to his partner. "Are you sure you want to do this? It could mean trouble." he said in a low voice. Nodding, his partner stepped forward, walking until only a few feet separated them from Kiba. The tall one hung back and watched. Stopping, the figure reached up and grasped the edge of their hat. "It's n-not us." a familiar voice said as the hat was removed.

"Hinata-chan?" Kiba said in surprise. There, before his very eyes was his friend and former teammate. A smile broke out on his face and he moved to hug her, but a warning glance from the kunoichi reminded him that they were not alone. Behind her, her partner removed his hat as well, revealing a shaggy head of crimson and black hair and glowing golden eyes.

"Hinata-chan." Shino said quietly in greeting.

She smiled and nodded at her longtime friend. Then turning to Moegi, she greeted her as well. "Moegi-chan, is t-that you? I do believe y-you have grown some. H-how are you?"

Moegi wasn't sure what to say. This whole situation was surreal. Here she was, standing in the cold with two S-class criminals and her teammates were chatting it up like they were at a family picnic. It was true that Hyuuga Hinata was once their teammate and friend, but what about loyalty to the village? Weren't they at least a little angry that she had abandoned both the people she swore to protect and her friends? And wouldn't they be in trouble for not trying to bring her in?

She was about to ask them what they thought they were doing when she was stopped by the first voice again. "Ah, the Akatsuki. This victory will be much sweeter now that you've come to die with the Leaf nins. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to catch up in Hell."

Ignoring the taunt, Kiba turned to Hinata. "Can you see them?" he asked.

Hinata activated her Byakugan. Searching the surrounding area, she finally located the hidden ninja. "They are behind us." she said quietly. "There are f-four of them. They m-must be using some sort of jutsu t-to throw their voice to a d-different location." She motioned for Kisho to join her. When he walked over she asked, "C-can you flush them out?"

Kisho shook his head. "The ground is frozen solid. I need it loose to create my dust cloud."

Moegi listened to their conversation intently. Inside she was torn on what to do. A part of her told her it was wrong to help them, no matter what the consequences to herself were. Another part reasoned that if they were willing to help them out of this situation, it would be acceptable to work together. Deciding that seeing Konohamaru again was preferable to death, she lowered the hood of her jacket and spoke up. "I can help you." she said, a little timidly.

Kisho gave her a skeptical look. She was definitely the weakest of the group here. "You can?"

Nodding she walked a little ways away from them. Holding out her hand, she let her chakra flow into it, just like Sakura taught her. She had tried to train as a medic nin, but didn't have the control necessary for the jutsu. But she didn't leave with nothing. Sakura had also worked with her on enhancing her taijutsu, and at that she excelled. Dodging the shuriken that whizzed by her head, she slammed her fist into the ground, breaking the frozen earth and creating a small crater. She did it a second time, and breathing hard, stepped back.

"Will that do?" she asked.

Kisho glanced at her in surprise. _'A kunoichi's greatest asset is being underestimated.'_ Once again, Konan's words were proven true. "Yeah, that will work great." he replied.

Stepping to the edge of the broken ground, Kisho formed hand seals and closed his eyes. Seeing an opening, the enemy ninja launched shuriken at him from three different directions. Stepping up, Hinata blocked the attack so her partner could finish his jutsu. After a moment, he opened his eyes and held out a hand. The loose rocks from the ground rose and orbited around his palm. Letting chakra flow into them, Kisho made the rocks break and crumble until it was a mass of spinning dust.

Turning, he directed the cloud into the nearby trees. Hinata told him where each ninja was located, and he sent it to them, one by one. The dust surrounded them, and coughing was heard until they dropped down to the ground, unable to breathe properly. Still catching their breath, they glared at Kisho and Hinata. Kisho glanced at their headbands. Sound ninja.

"You'll pay for your interference. Orochimaru-sama doesn't take kindly to meddlers." said the apparent leader in a menacing voice.

"We don't give a damn what he thinks!" Kisho yelled through the sudden gust of wind that blew snow across his vision. When it died down, two of the ninja had started running toward him, while the Sound kunoichi stepped back and started forming had seals. Kiba and Shino rushed forward to intercept the ninja, and Hinata fell back to stand at Moegi's side while Kisho went after the leader.

"Air Element: Siren's Doom!" the kunoichi cried out. A wave of chakra enveloped the area and she began to sing. The song was low at first, but as she continued, it rose in volume until it echoed off the trees.

Moegi was standing there contemplating whether or not she should join in when a pain swept through her head. Clutching her ears, she fell to her knees. Her vision started swimming and she looked over at Hinata. She was quickly forming hand seals and soon had created a chakra barrier that enveloped herself, Moegi and Akamaru, who had passed out first from the effects of the jutsu.

The three way battle was intense, and Hinata could only stand by and watch her friends fight, unable to help and protect Moegi and Akamaru at the same time. Shino was having the hardest time. Without the use of his bugs, he was reduced to using only taijutsu and basic jutsus. Kiba was attacking fiercely, and even without Akamaru's help, soon had his opponent dispatched. An idea came to Hinata, and she called out to her former teammate.

"Kiba! Take over for Kisho. Kisho! Get the kunoichi's chakra, quickly!"

Kiba reached the redhead just as the sound ninja managed to score a hit. His arm was sliced open, and the cold air stung the wounded skin. Jumping between them, Kiba pushed the leader back, giving Kisho time to dash over to where the kunoichi was standing. Fighting both the pain in his arm and head, he struggled to reach her. He grabbed her arm just as Shino finished off his opponent and fell to his knees, giving in to the pain, clutching his head.

Golden eyes locked with the pale blue ones of the kunoichi as he began draining her chakra. Determined to keep him from winning, she used her free hand to draw a kunai out of her pouch. With a swift thrust she attacked, slicing his arm open. But it was in vain. Finished, Kisho stepped back as the jutsu was dispelled. The kunoichi fell to her knees, defeated.

Hinata dropped her barrier, and helped Moegi to her feet. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced over at Kisho. He had turned around and was heading back to them. The kunoichi behind him had regained her feet and charged him, ready to plunge a kunai in his back. Praying she would make it in time, Hinata raced to intercept her. Metal clanged and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief as the other girl was pushed back.

But she wasn't finished yet. Not giving the enemy a second chance, she attacked, a determined, almost feral gleam in her eyes. She wasn't about to let this woman hurt her friends and keep her from going home to Kisame. "Hakkeshou Kaiten!" she cried. Hands flying, she quickly doled out her sixty four palms. But this time, her goal wasn't to shut down her chakra. Kisho had already dealt with that. She had sharpened the chakra in her hands, and with each blow landed, she scored the kunoichi's body. When she was finished, her opponent dropped back to her knees, head down, bleeding heavily.

Shino watched Hinata from where he sat a few yards away. From the expression on his friend's face, he half expected her to finish the sound ninja off. Instead, she rapped her on the back of the neck with her hand, knocking her unconscious. Then she walked over to where Kisho was standing to examine his wounds. Reminded of his own teammates, Shino turned to see how they were faring. Moegi was assisting Hinata, and the dog ninja was still engaged in battle.

Kiba finally managed to create an opening and plunged his kunai into the leader's chest. Falling back, the other ninja glared at him in defiance. Knowing his time was growing short, he charged Kiba, uncaring of his injury. He managed to take him by surprise and knocked him back, Kiba falling to the ground. He stood over him, katana in hand, ready to strike. He might die, but he could at least take one of the Leaf ninja with him. The last thing he saw was the surprised look in the dog nin's eyes before a white blur blocked his view and he was knocked to the ground, a pain shooting through his neck as it was ripped open.

Akamaru's jaws closed with a sickening crunch. He had regained consciousness just in time to see his master in trouble. Reacting on instinct, he charged, jumping over Kiba and taking the enemy ninja down. Growling fiercely, he held on until the man between his teeth stopped moving. As soon as he did, Akamaru dropped him to the ground and turning, made his way over to Kiba. Licking him on the face, he sniffed him over to make sure he was uninjured.

"Thanks, Akamaru. You saved my life." Kiba said in an emotional voice. Wrapping his arms around the dogs neck, he hugged him, burying his face in his bloody fur. The dog whined softly, and Kiba released him. Standing up, he looked around at what remained of the battlefield. Blood soaked into the snow covered ground and kunai lay everywhere. Walking over to Shino, he helped him to his feet, then the pair went to check on Hinata and Moegi.

Kisho tried not to wince as the unpracticed kunoichi stitched up the wounds on his arms. The bitterly cold air made it sting, and he was starting to shiver. They had removed his cloak to tend to his injuries, and he sat on the snowy ground in nothing but his thin, long sleeved shirt and pants. After a few minutes, Moegi was finished, and Hinata wrapped the wounds with a bandage. Grinding his teeth against the pain, he shrugged his cloak back on and stood.

Hinata stood at his side, and Moegi made her way back over to Kiba. The two teams stared at each other, an awkward silence falling over the group. It was Shino who finally broke the tension. "It's good to see you again, Hinata-chan."

A blush made it's way across her cheeks. "T-thank you, Shino-kun. It's g-great to see you all t-too."

Half afraid that seeing her friends would make her want to go back, Kisho turned and stared at his partner. "We need to be going soon. Leader-sama is expecting us back today." She nodded and relieved, he moved off to give her some space to say goodbye.

A pained look haunted her pale lavender eyes as she stepped forward. She hugged Shino first, then Kiba. Stepping back, she took in the sight of her friends, committing it to memory. After all, she never knew when, or if, she would see them again. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes, but she fought them back with a smile. She really did hate goodbyes. "I guess I n-need to go. Please t-take care of yourselves." she said.

She turned away, only to be stopped when Kiba grabbed her arm. Looking back, her eyes locked with his. "Hinata, are you happy? Did you make the right choice?" he asked, searching her expression for the answer.

A smile broke out on her face as she thought about Kisame waiting for her back at the base. "Y-yes, Kiba, I did."

"Then goodbye, Hinata-chan. Hopefully we'll see you around again. But I warn you, happy or not, next time I just might drag your ass back home to Konoha!" he teased with a grin. She just shook her head at him and with a wave, jumped into the nearest tree, followed closely by Kisho. They watched her until she was out of sight, then turned and looked at each other.

"We need to go as well." Shino said. "Kurenai-sensei will be waiting on us."

"Yeah, let's go. Akamaru!" Kiba called. The dog bounded over and his master hopped onto his massive back. They started off down the road, Shino walking beside them, Moegi trailing behind.

Troubled, Moegi caught up with the pair. "Umm, won't we get into trouble for letting them go? Shouldn't we have at least tried to stop them?" she said, at last voicing her concerns.

Kiba turned to grin at her and reached down to pat her on the head. Shino glanced back at her as well. "No." he said. "Why? Tsunade-sama understands the reason Hinata left. She chose not to send a retrieval team after her."

Tilting her head, Moegi tried to understand. "Doesn't that go against the rules, though?"

"Kid, you'll learn that the world isn't as black and white as you were taught." Kiba said. With a small frown, Moegi followed after them. She would be so glad when this mission was over and she could get back with her own team. She much preferred their brand of insanity. It was far less complicated. Thinking of Konohamaru to keep her mind off the cold, she silently trudged along behind them.

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Kisame was sitting in his room, going over Samehada's many blades when the door opened and Hinata walked in. He frowned a little when he took in her tired appearance. "Hey there, Hummingbird. How did your mission go?" he asked in greeting.

Hinata smiled at his nickname for her. "Fine." she said. Unclasping her cloak, she lay it on the edge of his bed. Pulling her forehead protector off, she set it on his dresser before climbing on his bed. The warmth of the room was a welcome contrast to the cold outside. Relaxing back on his pillow, she breathed deeply, taking in his masculine scent. Stretching the tension out of her muscles, she watched as he finished with his sword and quickly rewrapped it.

A feral gleam came to Kisame's eyes as he watched her, stretched out on his bed. Unable to resist the temptation, he set Samehada to the side and walked over to the bed. Climbing in beside her, he wrapped an arm around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her, but the look in her eyes made him pause. Something was bothering her.

"Just fine?" he asked. "Did anything happen?" If that asshole Kisho did anything to her, he would kill him.

"Well, on t-the way back, w-we ran into Kiba and Shino."

Kisame couldn't help the little stab of jealousy that went through him when she mentioned her friends. "Did they attack you?" he asked. If so, he would just have to kill them too. Well, that rule pretty much applied to anybody that messed with her.

"N-no. They were b-being attacked by a team of S-sound ninja and we h-helped them out." she answered.

Going quiet, Hinata rolled towards him and snuggled into his chest. He could feel her warm breath through his mesh shirt. She lay there for several minutes without a sound. Kisame knew she wasn't asleep. She must still be thinking about her friends. Dropping his chin on her head, he rubbed her back, warming her cool skin.

"Hinata, do you regret being here? Being with me?" he asked. He knew if she said yes, he would let her go again, even if it did kill him. Holding his breath, he waited for her answer.

Hinata lifted her head and studied his face. She could easily see the worry there. He thought she wasn't happy with him. Locking eyes, she smiled shyly. "Kisame, I will n-never regret being with you. I do m-miss my friends sometimes, but I w-wouldn't trade the day we m-met for anything." she said.

His somber expression vanished, to be replaced by a wicked smirk. "Because I'm so damn good?" he asked, teasingly.

Hinata laughed and smacked him lightly on the arm for it. "Yeah." she said with a blush. She watched his smirk fade and he leaned down to kiss her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Yeah, she had made the right choice.

A/N: Just wanted to let you know, this is the last chapter before the epilogue. I'll warn you now, if you want the happy ending version, stop now, this is it! If you don't mind getting a little angsty, grab a tissue box and hang on tight.


	25. Chapter 25

WARNING!: This chapter is very violent, very sad and contains character death. You have been warned!

Epilogue

Six months later...

Kisame thrust Samehada into the ground and slumped down to sit heavily on the floor of the cave. Leaning back against the wall, he tried to steady his ragged breathing. The pain shooting through his entire body made his head feel hazy. Losing so much blood hadn't helped either. Glancing around, he couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips. How ironic. This was the exact same cave where he spent his first night with Hinata. Thinking of her brought her image to his mind, and a new pain swept through him, this one in his soul.

He let his eyes wander to the empty space across from him. He could almost see her, the way she was before. The innocent expression she wore when she slept, the sound and scent of her as she bathed in the tub he made, the way she looked in her lavender and blue kimono. Suddenly a spasm seized him and he coughed hard, fresh blood running down his lips. That damned Kisho, he must have grazed his lung. Not that it mattered. Nothing did anymore, except her. Because soon, if Kami had any compassion at all, he would be with his Hummingbird once again.

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Eight days earlier...

The village of Hidden Rain came into view at last. Kisame couldn't help the smile that softened his hard features. Soon, he would be back home. Hinata had promised to make him dinner tonight, and the thought nearly made his stomach growl. She didn't cook often, but when she did, it was wonderful. She had a good nose when it came to flavoring food, and he often had to stop himself from devouring the entire meal. He quickened his pace until his partner cleared his throat, gaining his attention.

"Kisame." Itachi said in a stern voice. Looking back, the shark nin smirked. He had nearly left him behind. Pulling to a stop, he waited for his partner to catch up. Turning his face upward, he let the misting rain fall on his face, enjoying the feel of the water as it slid down his cheek.

Kisame glanced at the sky just in time to see Kisho fly overhead. Hinata wasn't with him, and he was racing through the air as fast as the roc would carry him. He glanced down at them, but continued on as if he never saw them. Was something wrong? Kisame couldn't help the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of his stomach. Itachi reached him a moment later and they both headed toward the base with a new sense of urgency.

_'You're just being paranoid.'_ he told himself. Mentally he shook his head. Hinata had him running home to her like a school kid to his mother. Hidan was right, he was so whipped. Soon, the brick front of the Akatsuki headquarters loomed ahead. Stopping in front of the door, they started the hand seals to allow them entry. They finished a moment later and Itachi swung the door open. Kisame froze as he stepped across the threshold. There was a feeling of violence in the building, and he could smell fresh blood. Hinata's blood. The air was so thick with it, it was almost suffocating.

"Hinata!" he screamed, his sudden panic overriding everything else. He rushed forward only to be stopped by a smaller body bowling into him. He looked down to see Tobi clutching the front of his cloak and gesturing wildly.

"Kisame-san! Tobi tried to stop Kisho-kun, but Tobi was too late! So Tobi stayed with Hinata-chan because Tobi is a good boy!" he yelled up at the taller man.

Kisame grabbed Tobi by the front of his cloak and pulled him off the ground to glare in his mask. "Where is she?" he bellowed.

Without waiting for a reply, he dropped Tobi to the floor and took off, Itachi on his heels. His nose told him everything he needed to know. She was in the kitchen. Skidding to a halt, he slammed into the door frame, making the turn into the room. His blood ran cold and the world fell away at the sight that greeted him. She was lying in front of the refrigerator, face down, with a kunai sticking out of her back, right where her heart was. Blood pooled around her torso, soaking into her long, dark hair, making it sticky. A rivulet of crimson crept across the floor where it was uneven, steadily making its way toward Kisame, who stood frozen in the doorway.

As if in a trance, Kisame forced himself to move. Slowly, he made his way to her side and dropped to his knees, uncaring of the blood soaking into his pants. Deftly, he pulled the kunai out of her back and tossed it away. He couldn't stand for it to touch her precious flesh any longer. Rolling her over, he brushed the hair out of her face. Her eyes were closed and she had an innocent expression on her face, the same one she wore while she slept. Looking down, he saw that she had one hand wrapped tightly around the hummingbird necklace she constantly wore.

Denial set in and Kisame vainly searched her for a pulse or sign of breathing. Finding none, he gently grabbed her shoulders and lightly shook her. "Hinata! Hinata, wake up!" he yelled at her. When she didn't respond, he quieted his hands, and his voice became a whisper. "Don't leave me, Hummingbird." he pleaded softly.

He felt someone shift behind him, then a hand landed on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Kisame, she's gone." Itachi said in an emotionless voice. Turning, he addressed Tobi, who was standing in the doorway, fidgeting. "Tobi, where is Leader-sama?"

"Tobi is the only one here! Leader-sama and everyone else are out on a mission today. It was just Kisho-kun, Hinata-chan and Tobi. Hinata-chan was teaching Tobi to make onigiri." he replied, growing quiet as he spoke.

Itachi nodded his understanding and turned back to his partner. It was getting hard to maintain control of his perfectly masked emotions. Watching his partner so undone pierced his heart. He wanted to say something, anything, to help ease his friend's pain, but he knew it was useless. Pain, betrayal, death. They all knew that this was the grim reality of shinobi life. No amount of kindness or love would change it. But knowing the facts never made bearing it any less difficult.

Kisame was cradling Hinata's lifeless body in his arms. He didn't cry aloud, but tears streamed down his marked cheeks, unchecked. Minutes passed, and nobody moved. Then, just as quickly as they came, his tears were gone. A cold expression settled on his features. With Hinata still in his arms, he stood. Turning without a word to anyone, he brushed past Itachi and Tobi and headed up the stairs. Itachi followed silently.

Tobi stayed in the doorway, looking at the blood left in the kitchen floor. Beneath the swirling orange mask, Madera smirked. Everything had gone exactly as he had planned. He was getting tired of watching one of his strongest ninja grow weaker by the day because of a silly girl. Fortunately for him, he knew of Kisho's fear of the Sharingan. The redhead had foolishly admitted it to him one day while they were playing pool. All it took was a look into his eyes and a little 'persuasion' and the Stone ninja was driven completely over the edge.

It was easy enough to convince him that Hinata was the cause of his pain. If not for her, he would be safe and happy in Iwagakure. Then all he had to do was release the genjutsu, sit back and watch. Kisho did the rest. It pleased him immensely when he saw Kisame shed his grief and return to the merciless killer he knew so well. Pushing his mental victory dance to the back of his mind, he let Tobi slide back into place and set to work on cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Soon he was caught up in the motions and nearly missed it when Itachi and Kisame passed by the doorway and headed outside. The shark nin still carried Hinata, but she had been cleaned up and dressed in a kimono.

Rushing after them, Tobi caught up just outside the front door. "Itachi-san! Kisame-san! Tobi needs to know where you are going, so Leader-sama won't be angry you left again!" he said frantically.

Itachi paused and turned back to face him. Kisame continued onward, giving no sign that he had heard at all. "I'm going to the edge of the village to see Kisame off. He is taking Hinata home." he said simply.

Without waiting for a reply, Itachi turned around and hurried to catch up to his partner. Settling down to the same pace, both shinobi walked silently to the edge of the village. It began raining softly, and a low fog settled over the village, covering it like a shroud. Occasionally, Itachi glanced up at Kisame's face. There was no expression in it, only a hard mask of steel.

It was in that moment, that he knew he would be going after Kisho. That nothing would stop him until he had avenged Hinata. They reached the outskirts of the village, and Itachi drew to a halt. In perfect sync, the moment Itachi stopped, Kisame took off at a run. Itachi watched his back until it disappeared into the mist. He nodded in silent farewell, and turning, made his way back to the base.

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Two days later...

Hiashi sat at his desk, reading. He had just finished drawing up Hanabi's marriage contract, and was checking for any errors. She was to wed in two months' time, so everything had to be correct. His brow furrowed slightly as he frowned. This should have been Hinata's wedding. If things hadn't gone wrong, that is. He absently wondered what she was doing at the moment. If she was well fed, if the Akatsuki were treating her fairly. She may have shamed the clan by becoming a missing ninja, but she was still his daughter.

His pride wouldn't allow him to admit it to anyone, but he now regretted pressuring her so much as a child. She obviously was a lot stronger than he gave her credit for, if the Akatsuki was willing to accept her as a member. He sighed heavily. Maybe if her mother were still alive, she would have grown into the heiress she was meant to become. His thoughts were interrupted by a crash against the window. Turning, he saw a small lump lying on the sill.

Curiosity got the better of him. He rose and walked over to the window, sliding the glass aside so he could get a better look. Lying there was a small black hummingbird, dead. It was lying on its back, and Hiashi could see its pale throat contrasting sharply against the bluish black feathers of its stomach. It must have flown into the glass, breaking its neck in the process. Shaking his head at the foolish thing, he reached out and shoved it off the sill, watching as it landed in the bushes below.

His attention was diverted by a shout coming from the main gates of the village. They quickly died down, and he turned back to his desk, leaving the window open to let the summer air circulate in the room. He had just started reading again when a knock sounded on his door. "Enter!" he commanded sternly.

"Excuse me, Hiashi-sama." a servant said. "There is a commotion at the front gates. Neji-san has been called for, and two other ninja as well. I've heard that it has something to do with Hinata-sama. Forgive me, but I thought you would want to know."

"Thank you, I'll go immediately." Hiashi responded coldly. Inwardly a small hope took hold of him. Did Hinata come back? Was it not too late to tell her how he really felt about her? Grabbing a katana, he headed out to see what was going on.

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Kisame once again stood in front of the shinobi guarding the massive gates of Konoha, Hinata still cradled in his arms. But this time, there was no smirk, no empty threats. His lifeless eyes stared at them dully as he spoke. "I'm not here to fight you. I need you to fetch Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuuga Neji. Bring them to me." he commanded.

The guards never moved, just stood in shock, staring at Hinata's lifeless form. "Now!" Kisame shouted. "If you do not, I will tear this village down until I find them!"

Finally one of them snapped out of it, and ran down the street, shouting. The other maintained his defensive position, watching the shark nin carefully. Kisame just gave him a blank look before staring down into Hinata's face. Even in death, she was beautiful. The dark blue of her kimono stood out sharply against her pale skin. Lavender hummingbirds decorated the bottom, flying in the midnight sky. Little silver stars splashed across the fabric. He had just bought it for her, while he was on a mission a couple of weeks back. She had never gotten the chance to wear it. Until now.

Chakra signatures caught his attention, and he lifted his head. Five ninja stood at the gate, watching him cautiously. Two were obviously Hinata's relatives, with long dark hair and pale eyes. He recognized the younger one, Neji, from his fight with Might Guy. Two more he recognized from Hinata's descriptions as Kiba and Shino. The fifth was the Hokage herself, Tsunade. The expressions on their faces ranged from the shocked look on the older Hyuuga's to intense anger coming from the dog ninja, Kiba.

No one moved for a long moment, then Shino stepped forward. He walked right up to Kisame, without an ounce of fear. Lowering his hood, he removed his glasses before he spoke. "Hoshigaki Kisame, I am Aburame Shino." He glanced down at Hinata before continuing. "I see you have brought Hinata-chan back to us. Arigatou."

Kisame nodded, a flash of pain lighting his eyes before he gingerly placed her in his outstretched arms. Stepping back, Shino bowed before turning around and walking back to Tsunade. He focused hard on walking straight, trying to ignore the tears welling up in his eyes. As he passed Hiashi and Neji, the older Hyuuga muttered regretfully under his breath. "So she was weak after all." The words had barely left his mouth when a blow to his face sent him sailing, and he landed on his back several yards away. He had blinked only once when he was grabbed up by his shirt and found himself staring into furious yellow eyes.

"She is NOT weak!" Kisame bellowed into his face. "If you say one more word, old man, I'll fucking kill you!"

Everyone stared in shock. It had happened so fast, no one had time to react. Kisame had already dropped him, turned and was heading back out of the gate when Kiba charged him, kunai drawn. "This is all your fault, you bastard!" he shouted.

Kiba reached him and plunged his weapon deep into his side. Kisame never even tried to dodge. Pain roared through his body, but he relished it. It took the edge off his shattered soul and fueled his desire for vengeance. He turned and looked at the dog ninja calmly. "You're wrong. This is Kisho's fault. And when I find him, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands."

Kiba staggered back. The pure hate in the other ninja's eyes and the venom in his words made him pause. Kisame pulled the kunai from his side and dropped it to the ground. He took one last look at Hinata and turning, jumped into the nearest tree and was gone. Kiba fell to his knees, staring blindly at the bloody weapon lying on the ground. His vision soon became blurry and tears ran down his face as he screamed his anguish to the sky.

Neji shook his head sadly before turning and looking at Tsunade. "Shouldn't we go after him?" he asked. "He is a wanted criminal and member of Akatsuki."

"No." Tsunade replied softly. "Let him go."

"The elders will not approve."

Tsunade sighed heavily, the weight of her own guilt making her shoulders sag. She needed to find a bottle of sake, and fast. Glancing over her shoulder as she turned away, she glared at the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. "I just don't give a damn." she said, before walking slowly back to the Hokage Tower.

Neji nodded and went to help his uncle up. They both walked over to where Shino was standing silently. Kiba wandered over a moment later, red eyed and in a daze. Hiashi took Hinata's body and started down the street towards the compound, the others silently trailing behind him. The village was quiet, nobody spoke as they passed, just watched the procession with sad, haunted eyes. And nobody mentioned the large bruise on the clan head's cheek, or the tears streaming down his face as he walked, head up and back stiff.

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Five days later...

Kisho stumbled and fell to his knees. A rock cut his palm as he caught himself and pain shot up his arm. He ignored it, too tired to care. He had been traveling steadily for a week now and his body was just about ready to give out on him. He needed to rest. Glancing up at the sky, he tried to judge how close to sunset it was. Dark gray clouds blanketed the sun, making it nearly impossible to tell. He figured it was somewhere close to six o'clock. If he made it another hour, he could rest. By tomorrow he would reach Iwagakure.

Climbing back to his feet, he trudged onward. Alone with his thoughts, he brushed a tear away with a dusty hand as his memories began plaguing him. Three days ago his fragmented mind began pulling itself together and since then, the horror of what happened slowly began unfolding. Pain washed over his soul as the scene played out in his head of its own accord.

The last thing he clearly remembered was sitting in the common room with Hinata and Tobi. They were playing Shoji. Tobi was losing terribly. After their fourth game, Hinata stood and said she needed to start making dinner for Kisame, who was due to come back from a mission at any time. A twinge of jealousy hit him, like it always did, and he shoved it away. Tobi begged her to teach him how to make rice balls, and she agreed with a blush.

After that, things started to get fuzzy. Hinata headed out to the kitchen. Tobi started to follow, but turned back at the last minute to tell him something. Then the room started spinning and everything went black. The glowing red eyes of the Sharingan flashed in his mind, along with a whispering voice. He never did remember just what the voice said, it was always muted by the fear consuming him from seeing those deathly eyes.

When he finally came to, he was in the kitchen, standing over Hinata's body in a pool of blood. His hands were covered in the crimson liquid. He turned around just in time to see Tobi running into the room. He started screaming about how he murdered Hinata-chan and he'd better run, because when Kisame got there, he would be dead meat. Panic set in and without thought, Kisho ran for his life. He summoned a roc outside and took off, heading for Iwa.

As he was leaving the village, he happened to look down. Kisame and Itachi were there, and the shark ninja was looking straight at him. Kisho quickly looked away and urged his bird to go faster. A few minutes later, he felt a massive chakra flare coming from the base. It had to be Kisame. Reminded of what had happened, a wave of sorrow swept over him before his mind shut down completely. Everything was a blank after that, up until he woke up three days ago.

A bright flash of lightning interrupted his crippling thoughts. It was going to rain soon. Maybe he should go ahead and build a shelter from the storm, and continue traveling tomorrow. Looking around, he spotted several boulders that would be suitable for molding into a shallow cave. He had just started forming hand seals when he felt a familiar chakra signature flare behind him.

_'Oh, shit...'_ he thought, taking off at a dead run.

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Kisame had been running at a steady pace for five days now. He wasn't pushing himself hard, but he hadn't stopped to rest either. It wouldn't have done him any good anyway. He probably would never be able to sleep again. Not without her. His chakra was getting pretty low, but it hardly mattered. As long as he still had strength in his body, he would continue on. His side had stopped bleeding, but it still hurt like hell. He had crossed the border of Earth Country yesterday, and he was now starting to pick up faint traces of Kisho's scent. He was getting closer...

He suddenly came to a halt as a new smell caught his attention. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on it. Blood. And it belonged to Kisho. A savage grin crossed his face. He hoped the bastard was in as much pain as was humanly possible. Spurred on by this new development, he took off again. As he gained on the other ninja, he let go of his chakra, letting it flare and swirl around him. All of his pain, anger and bloodlust rose to the front. Instead of pushing it down, he embraced it. It flowed through his body like fire until his demon blood took over. His chakra glowed with an intense blue light and his hearing and sense of smell sharpened considerably.

There, just ahead of him, he picked out Kisho's outline on the horizon. Grasping Samehada's hilt, he sped up until he was practically flying over the terrain. Kisho started running away from him. As he gained ground, he could pick up on the redhead's fear. He fed off the emotion, triggering his predatory instincts further. Closing in, Kisame took a deep breath and called out to his opponent.

"KISHO!" he roared.

The other ninja jumped visibly and sped up. Forming hand seals as he went, he summoned his stone lions. They sprung out of the ground, and turned towards Kisame, charging. Pulling Samehada from his back, he swung the great sword in an arc in front of him. Not slowing down, he smashed through Kisho's constructs, reducing them back to piles of rubble and dust. More lions came and Kisho was starting to pull ahead.

Coming to a quick halt, Kisame threw Samehada with all his strength. The great sword flew through the air, then plummeted to the ground, directly in front of Kisho. As the sword tip was buried in the ground, Samehada's blades erupted from their wrappings, stretching out as far as they would reach. Kisho came to an abrupt halt, mere inches from injury. Turning, he watched as Kisame met the last of his stone lions. The cat leapt high into the air. Another flash of lightning lit up the darkening landscape as Kisame's fist made contact with it's face.

Pain shot through Kisame's hand as the stone lion crumpled under the force of the blow. He heard at least three bones break in his hand. Ignoring it, he turned to the focus of his wrath. Kisho stood just in front of Samehada, watching him. Stepping closer, Kisame's face twisted into an angry snarl. Just then, the clouds thickened, sending great droplets of rain pounding to the earth. Lightning struck again, followed by a massive clap of thunder.

When he was only a few feet away, Kisame came to a halt. "Why, Kisho? Why would you do it? She trusted you! She was your friend!" he ground out furiously, his voice getting louder as he spoke.

Kisho struggled to be heard over the pounding rain. "I didn't even know I did it! I don't remember it at all! Something went wrong, and I don't know what it was!" he shouted back, defending himself.

"I warned you, boy. If she dies, you die. Draw your weapon. I'm ending this now." Kisame pulled off his cloak, throwing it to the ground. Next, he ripped off his forehead protector, dropping it on top of his cloak. The downpour soon had his hair soaked, and the springy strands drooped around his harsh face. He took a step towards Kisho, who gripped his katana defensively.

"Wait, Kisame! I want to explain! We don't have to do this, man!" Kisho yelled.

"Man?" Kisame gave a hollow laugh. "The man you knew died when she did. All that remains now is the monster. And he will not be satisfied until you're rotting in Hell!" he shouted, charging.

Kisho drew his sword and raised it in front of him. It was obvious that the shark ninja was beyond reason. The only way to stop him now was to kill him. Bringing up his iron will, Kisho raced forward, and met him halfway. He brought his katana down, slicing into Kisame's arm as it was knocked back. Dodging a punch, Kisho jumped backward, just out of reach. Rushing forward, he attacked again, this time managing to slice into his shoulder.

He didn't get away unscathed. Kisame's fist made contact with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and throwing him to the ground. He slowly rose to his feet, only to find the shark nin standing directly in front of him. He swung his sword again, aiming lower. He felt the blade slice into Kisame's side. Blood oozed out of the wound, running down to mingle with the rain in the thirsty ground. He seemed oblivious to the pain and punched Kisho in the face, knocking him back down. Head spinning, the crimson haired ninja lay there, nearly defeated.

Large hands were wrapped around his throat as a weight settled on his stomach. Kisho's eyes started bulging as his air was cut off. In a last ditch effort to save himself, he brought his sword up, and buried it in Kisame's chest. He felt warm liquid spray onto his face, mixing with the rain. His body starting fighting of its own will, pounding against the weight crushing his windpipe. Then a calm settled over him. It was no more than he deserved, really. He only hoped that wherever Hinata was, she would forgive him. Then the world tilted at a funny angle before everything went black and Kisho knew no more.

Kisame watched as blood slowly oozed out of Kisho's mouth. His body twitched one last time and went still. Rolling off of him, the shark ninja slowly pulled the katana out of his chest. Now that the battle was over, the pain from his wounds hit him full force. Panting heavily, he struggled to his feet. The rain was only a slight comfort as he made his way over to Samehada. He had to get out of here as fast as he could. There was no way in hell he was going to let the Iwa nins have the pleasure of finishing him off. When another flash of lightning hit, he could make out a canyon to the left. Since he didn't even have the strength left to hoist his sword to his shoulder, he let it trail behind him as he wandered toward the shelter of one of the caves he knew would be nearby.

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Kisame glanced out of the cave entrance. The rain had finally stopped and it was getting close to dawn. He drew in another ragged breath before coughing again, spitting out blood. A shiver ran through his body. It was awfully damn cold for the middle of summer. It must be from exhaustion. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He had to try several times to bring his eyes into focus. Peering over to where Samehada sat, he smiled.

Resting atop the skull on the great sword's hilt sat a small black hummingbird with a pale lavender throat. It cocked its little head and looked at him. The fresh scent of lilacs wafted through the air. Suddenly, Kisame noticed that he no longer felt any pain or had trouble breathing. Finally, he would be able to rest. Closing his eyes, he sighed.

"Hinata..." he breathed. Wherever she was, he hoped she would forgive him.

Dawn broke and light streamed into the entrance. Small black wings, laced with blue, flapped rapidly and zoomed to freedom. A gentle breeze blew in, cleansing the air. Then all was still and the cave was devoid of life once more.

The End

A/N: I don't usually pair an individual chapter with a song, but in this case I'm making an exception. If you listen to New Divide by Linkin Park, it matches this chapter so well, it's eerie, especially if you look at it from Kisho's point of view. Anyway, I want to thank everyone who reads this, I hope you enjoyed it. Your thoughts on how I did would be greatly appreciated. :)

Much love,

Onileo


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